Progress in Veolia, union contract talks

A day after the Nassau legislature approved a private takeover of bus service in the county, the company said it is close to finishing the hiring and training of 900 employees and that safety inspections of the bus fleet are nearly complete.

Veolia Transportation, of Lombard, Ill., also said it is negotiating with the union representing bus workers, and that it is "optimistic" about reaching an agreement.

A union spokesman said both sides met Tuesday and were making progress, though "it's clear this is not going to be settled anytime soon."

The county legislature voted unanimously on Monday to approve County Executive Edward Mangano's plan to shift county bus service from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to Veolia as of Jan. 1. The bus system carries 100,000 daily riders.

Andy Kraus, a Veolia spokesman, said Tuesday that "the hiring and training of more than 900 employees should be completed within 10 days." He said the state Department of Transportation has about 50 more buses to inspect in the 296-vehicle fleet. Kraus said more than 500 MTA drivers have applied for jobs, and that all had received offers.

Veolia and the TWU Local 252, which represents about 800 employees of Long Island Bus, "are actively engaged in negotiations and have been working on issues one at a time." He said the company is "optimistic about reaching an agreement with the TWU soon."

Jamie Horwitz, spokesman for the Transport Workers Union said the two sides are scheduled to meet on Dec. 22 and again on Dec. 29, and that the union will brief members Sunday on the progress of the talks.

"Both sides are serious but the county really put everybody in a tight spot because a lot of these matters can't be simply addressed -- there's research required," Horwitz said.

Negotiations over the contract were roiled last week when Veolia's corporate parent said it would sell off its mass transit holdings.

Patricia Bowden, president of Local 252, warned Nassau lawmakers Monday that her members were still without a contract with Veolia and that, as of Jan. 1, they would no longer be subject to the state Taylor Law, which prohibits public workers from striking.