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PELHAM, N.Y. Negotiations are ongoing between Liberty Lines Transit, Inc. and the Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100, according to Westchester County Spokesperson Jessica Proud.
"Nothing has changed as far as status," Proud said. "The negotiations are continuing and you know they stopped the clock after the contract expired at midnight on the 29th."
Proud said that the government, which does not have a say in the negotiations, expects service to continue uninterrupted and they are hopeful that the two sides can come to an agreement.
While she admitted that Liberty Lines and TWU originally discussed two weeks as the deadline for a new contract, she now believes that is subject to the process of negotiations.
Both sides are working in good faith to hammer out a contract, Proud added.
The items that have been discussed throughout the negotiation process are wage demands and the pension plans of the drivers and mechanics, which both sides agree is underfunded and in critical condition, according to the TWU website. The employers cost for health insurance, which the union acknowledges have sharply increased, is also under discussion.
The Bee-Line bus service serves approximately 100,000 passengers in Westchester in addition to employing 572 drivers and mechanics, according to the TWU website. Liberty Lines is a private firm contracted by the county to provide transportation services.
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