Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Union leaders representing CTA workers have decided not to hold a one-day walk-off that would have shut down the entire transit system, after striking a deal with a group of ministers.

As CBS 2's Rafael Romo reports, workers represented by the Amalgamated Transit Union approved a 24-hour walkout that would have shut down CTA bus and train service from Sunday night until Monday night.

But Amalgamated Transit Union Local 308 president Rick Harris said the union decided to call off the walk-off after meeting with the group Pastors' United for Change, a coalition of Baptist ministers.

"When I sat for weeks waiting to hear from someone who'd reach out to us and say, 'don't do this,' the only people that reached out was the faith community here," Harris said.

"It's my honor and my privilege to announce today that we will have an agreement, and we will not have a walkout with the CTA workers effective on Monday," said the Rev. Roosevelt Watkins, Pastor of Bethlehem Star M.B. Church

The group pressed the labor leaders to reconsider the planned protest, which would have started Sunday night and lasted through Monday night. Harris said the unions do not want to hurt minority commuters who rely on the CTA.

The ministers say the next step is to sit down at the table and negotiate a long-term solution to the CTA's financial problems.

Earlier Friday, union officials were all but certain that the walk-off was a done deal. Harris said he had to fight for the jobs and benefits of Chicago Transit Authority union employees.

"We're back in a corner," Harris said. "The flip side of the coin is we have 2,400 people that are looking at layoffs through the Christmas holiday as well as next year."

The shutdown would have affected CTA service in the city and 40 suburbs during the Monday morning commute. Many commuters did not like the idea at all.

But at the request of the ministers, union officials say they are going to stand down for now and hope for a solution. The problem is they don't have much time, because those 2,400 workers Harris mentioned have already been given pink slips.

"We're on a timetable where our pension fund is running out of money," Harris said. "We are not going to allow 2,400 people to be laid off."

"It is time for our governor and elected officials in Springfield to stop acting like children, putting their egos and personal agendas first," said the Rev. Michael Pfleger of St. Sabina Roman Catholic Church.

In addition to the 2,400 layoffs, 81 bus routes will be eliminated and fares will rise to as much as $3.25 if the state does not deliver new funding by January. The CTA says its has a $158 million deficit to close.

Although arms were raised in unity Friday, the union is not completely ruling out the work stoppage tactic farther down the line.

CTA President Ron Huberman was against that.

"We would go and get a court injunction, we would seek discipline against those who engaged in that job action," Huberman said.

Transit customers are just relieved that this threat is over.

"That's good to know because it was an immediate concern of mine, seeing how I was going to get to work Monday morning," said CTA rider Carl Johnson.

If the union decides again to stage a "stay at home" job action, it probably won't come until mid-January. Maybe before then, there'll be a permanent funding solution.  

CBS 2's Rafael Romo and Mike Parker, the Associated Press and the STNG Wire contributed to this report.

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