Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 16, 1991 TAG: 9104160562
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: EVENING
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER MUNICIPAL WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"I'm optimistic" an agreement on a new labor contract can be reached without a strike, Stephen Mancuso said. But he would not comment on the negotiations or say whether the company is willing to change its position.
Union drivers rejected the company's latest offer and have requested another bargaining session for Wednesday.
Mancuso met in closed session Monday with Roanoke City Council, acting in its capacity as director of the Greater Roanoke Transit Co., the legal entity that runs the bus system. He would not say what was discussed.
About 40 of the bus company's drivers, who are members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1493, have been working without a contract since April 1, when a three-year agreement expired.
Company and union officials agreed to extend the old contract on a day-by-day basis.
The bus company has 50 drivers and 15 mechanics. All were once members of the union, but the mechanics and some drivers are non-union.
The city owns the bus system and subsidizes it with local tax money. But Valley Metro is a legal entity separate from the city, and the drivers are not city employees. As a result, they have the right to bargain collectively and strike, even though state law prohibits local government employees from striking.
In other action Monday, council approved a new franchise that will allow Cox Cable Roanoke to keep providing cable television service in Roanoke for up to 12 years. Negotiators had reached a tentative agreement last month.
As part of the new franchise, the company will upgrade the system's capacity to 62 channels and spend $480,000 to equip a studio for government and educational public-access channels during the first four years. It will also provide access to government and educational channels at 21 public buildings - schools, libraries, fire stations and other facilities to be determined later.
The company will also extend cable service throughout the city. Parts of downtown and some public housing projects do not have cable, even though a consultant for the localities said that those areas should have been previously done.
Vinton Town Council and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors will be asked to approve the new franchise for their jurisdictions. Cox Cable serves the three localities.
by CNB