BY PETE DONOHUE and BILL HUTCHINSON
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERSTransit union chiefs voted last night to go back to the negotiating table, saying it was the “best path” to settling a labor dispute that prompted a three-day strike and one spurned contract.
Meeting for the first time since its members shot down a contract offer by seven votes Jan. 20, the executive board of Transport Workers Union Local 100 agreed to restart talks with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
“We intend to resume negotiations,” said union President Roger Toussaint. “That’s clearly the path that is available to us, the path that makes sense.”
The board rejected the suggestion of going to binding arbitration, and Toussaint said he will meet with MTA officials soon to see if a new contract offer can be hammered out.
Not only does it make sense, but it’s the only path. I hope the MTA holds its ground (the new offer, not the one the TWU walked away from).
[tags]mta, twu, nyc, toussaint[/tags]