KTLA News: "Tom Bradley announces Adolph Koven to join mediation efforts in transit strike" (1974)

[Mayor Tom Bradley] Parties have also agreed that the designee whom I shall name, ah, is acceptable to them, and his name is Adolph Koven. I believe that his long experience in this field, ah, his familiar, familiarity with the transit problems, that will provide him with the kind of skill and expertise that I think would be beneficial in, in , ah, resolving this matter. I think the people of this community, the four counties served by RTD, deserve this kind of response and I'm pleased that we've had some cordial and very frank discussions over the past two days. I think we're now at a point where we can expect that there's going to be some, good faith movement, and I hope a, a early solution to this difficult problem. [No Audio] [Paper rustling] [Uninteligible] [Man on right] Yeah, I know that. [Man on right at end] proposed lease a property for a new South Los Angeles division. Mr. Hanley. [Room noise] [Man on left, Mr. Hanley] Ah, approval is requested to authorize the general manager to enter into a lease agreement with Luis A. Canon, and Francis Canon covering approximate 4.59 acre parcel at the southwest corner of Rosecrans and Avalon, in Los Angeles for a new operation and maintenance division in south-central area. For fire [Camera noise] approve the premises to accommodate, [Hanley] an approximate 125 bus operation ah, is, ah, is required to house the additional buses that we will be putting in, [Unintelligible conversation] [Bradley] The representatives of both, management and labor, that have been involved in this discussion for the past two days. They'll be prepared to answer any questions you may want to put to them and they'll identify themselves as they speak. [Reporter] Will you be talking to the media? I'm going to give you a brief statement and then be prepared for your questions. Are you ready? [Reporter] Well, Mayor, have you, If you're ready, I'll give you a statement. [Laughter] [Reporter] Yes. [Reporters talk over each other] [Laughter] We've been in discussion with, all parties to the strike at RTD. Including the State Conciliation Service, which has been working, at the bargaining table with the representatives over the past six weeks. We have agreed that, ah, in order to try to move this matter toward a settlement, that would be beneficial for, the Mayor, of Los Angeles to appoint, a designee, a representative, to be his personal representative, as a part of the mediation process. He will join with the State Conciliation Service in this effort. Now, it will be our expectation that, ah, with this joint effort that, [Reporter unintelligible] until now. I think when you've had an impasse over the course of six weeks that it's very important to have, a break, to have a new dimension a new force brought into the discussion. And I think that there's a psychological influence which will be available as well as the practical and very significant skills, that ah, Mr. Koven will bring to these discussions. So I think that's going to be the difference. [Reporter] Mayor Bradley, [?] will he have any authority to call for binding arbitration on [?] No, this is a mediation process, I believe that all parties agree that we keep all options open and as the, discussions proceed, we may take a look at other possibilities, but at the moment it is a matter of, ah, proceeding on the mediation course. [Reporters talk over each other] What are the highlights in your view right now? You've met for a couple days now, what [?] I think that's a matter which is going to be discussed at the bargaining table and that's where I prefer to have it done. [Reporter unintelligible] No, I'm sorry, I cannot. [Reporters talking over each other] [?] Our operating needs are met out of taxpayers funds therefore, [Reporter] Is their possible movement just now then you were and the attitude then you were last week in City Council when you described to [Union representative] Made by management indicated to me that there was areas that management could move in. And, ah, certainly, there's areas that the union can move in. And again to reiterate my earlier statement. We are very far apart at this time. But, ah, we're willing to move in certain areas and we're and we feel management is well aware that our membership will not accept, the last proposal that was made to the union, and certainly they, their, they must know in their mind, they must move also to get this dispute settled. [Reporter] Can you say where you stand now? Does that jeopardize in anyway how far apart you are? We're not as far apart, ah, as when these negotiations started. There, certainly we are very far apart, but, ah, we're hoping with the appointment of the mayor's, ah, mediator, Adolph Koven, that possibly we can get down to some realistic, ah, negotiations and, ah, we can move closer together and get this dispute settled. [Reporters talk over each other] close the gap [?] Well, I would have to, say again, I'm not going to negotiate the contract here. We will negotiate across the bargaining table. [Camera noise] the union's position. The last offer was within the framework of the fact-finding Commission Report. This was the very offer that caused this strike. And, ah, we, our position now is the district has to come off that offer. And we know it, we have to come off of some of our demands and when the district is willing to move, we believe the union will move also, and, and, ah, again, we'll get this dispute settled, but it has to be a movement on both parties. [Reporter, unintelligible] [Union rep] And a very knowledgeable man that has sit in an many, probably many negotiation, [Camera noise] [Reporter] form a settlement with RTD and is it, if you're close is it because of UTU position that you're not reaching an agreement? [RTD Representative] Hah. No, it's, ah, [Reporter] Did you stop beating your wife? [RTD Rep] Yeah. [Laughter] It doesn't have anything to do with the UTU. We have to negotiate our our own contract as well as the UTU has to negotiate their own contract. I might just throw this in that, because of timing, ah, The ATU was legally able to strike on August 4th. And because of the problem, although we hoped in the final week to be able to do something, that we held off our strike one week. That may not mean much, but it means something in the area that this is the sixth week and it would have been the seventh. Because the drivers would have honored our picket lines. [Reporter] We haven't heard very much about your position in the strike. Are you, [Reporter] ah, pleased with the new arbitrator, the new mediator? I can just say that I know the gentleman is extremely qualified, as far as transit related problems and employees and transit industry. I know he's handled numerous arbitrations for the transit industry. He was one of the fact finders, on our first fact-finding session in 1969. And I know the gentleman is extremely qualified in it, not only as an arbitrator, but especially in the transit industry. [Reporter] Did you find that both sides, [Camera noise] [Jan Mitagawa, KTLA 5 Reporter] This Thursday, Adolph Koven, will be joining State Conciliator, Tom McCarthy, You might call it double teaming a rather sticky problem. All involved in the wage dispute, agree that Mr. Koven's entry into the dispute is a significant one, but that won't make his job any easier. After all, he's going to try to bring together two sides that have more than a bargaining table separating them. Jan Mitagawa, Channel 5 News. At the Civic Center. [Street noise] [Mitagawa] This Thursday, Mr. Adolph Koven will be joining State Conciliator, Tom McCarthy, in the wage dispute. You might call it double teaming a sticky problem. All sides in the dispute, agree that Mr. Koven's entry into the negotiations is a significant one, but that won't make his job any easier. After all, he's got to try to bring together, two parties that have more than a bargaining table separating them. Jan Mitagawa, Channel 5 News. At the Civic Center.