Research Paper on:
Negotiations In The Los Angeles Metro Transit Authority (MTA) Strike

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
Leaving nearly four hundred fifty-five thousand computers stranded - primarily students, seniors and the poor - the MTA strike went into effect because representatives on both sides could not come  to acceptable negotiations. James A. Williams, general chairman of the United Transportation Union acknowledged that such significant strikes typically occur when neither side can come to agreement. "It  has been the case for many years that meaningful negotiations do not really begin until there is some kind of a deadline in place, and this is the first step  in establishing such a deadline" (Anonymous #2, 2000, p. PG). Four thousand, two hundred sixty-eight bus and train operators walked off the job, leaving their entire customer base without transportation,  which posed a massive inconvenience for those who depended upon public transportation. The negotiations that took place as a means by which to avert the strike from occurring in  the first place were not sufficiently addressing what the operators felt to be a fair revision of their current contract. Just prior to the eleventh hour when the operators  were nearing the strike deadline, it looked as though there would be a last minute reprieve. "We dont want a strike. It would be very disruptive to our customers...We  feel we can work it out at the bargaining table, but we need more time" (Anonymous #2, 2000, p. PG). However, negotiations broke down and the strike went into  effect. Asking for a raise is not an easy proposition when faced with corporate bureaucracy. Those who feel they are underpaid typically develop low self-worth and antagonism toward their  employer, "two factors which can be more devastating than a loss of earnings" (Goldberg, 1996, p. PG). Therefore, negotiating a scheduling, overtime, health benefits, reducing workers compensation losses --