Judge Orders AC Transit To Enter Arbitration With Union

[Omaha Steve]

Source: KTUV

OAKLAND, Calif. -- A judge Friday ordered AC Transit to enter into binding arbitration with the bus agency's 1,600 employees to try to reach an agreement on a new contract.

The ruling by Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch was a blow to the financially-troubled bus agency, whose outside spokesman, Sam Singer, predicted two weeks ago that a lawsuit by the employees' union would be dismissed.

State courts have generally ruled that key financial decisions should be made by an elected board of directors instead of a non-elected third party such as an arbitrator.

Roesch also ruled that a new contract that AC Transit board members imposed on June 30 after negotiations stalled can still go into effect on Sunday as planned.

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