`wayne's World' Sequel Moves With Less Speed 
Wayne (mike Myers, Left) Tries To Gain The Approval Of Cassandra's Father, Mr.

5-year-old Accident Victim Upgraded To `fair'

By MITCH MORRISON; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Thursday, December 09, 1993 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 1 &amp; 20A QUICK WORDS: 13C MAKES PRIVATE
BUSES UNLIKELY HERE 





WILKES-BARRE -- The Wyoming Valley soon could become the only metropolitan
area in the state without mass transit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "In terms of urbanized areas, this would be the largest without service,"
said John Dockendorf, urban transit chief for the state Department of
Transportation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; One of 21 mass transit systems in the state, the Luzerne County
Transportation Authority will close after Jan. 30 barring a turnaround in the
LCTA's depleting coffers, officials announced earlier this week. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 If the system folds, 9,000 daily riders will suffer. Some said they will
take taxis or car pool to work. Others this week said they would relocate to
another county with public transportation. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 And those who don't work -- seniors, unemployed and youth -- are stuck. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Meanwhile, the authority Wednesday dangled little hope for a solution. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Deep down in my heart I hope it doesn't close," LCTA chairman Anthony
Sobeski said. "But I think it will. If it shuts down, I'm not sure we'll ever
open again." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The overriding obstacle is a stalemate in contract negotiations with the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 164, LCTA officials say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 To survive, they've asked the union to accept an across-the-board
$2-an-hour pay cut and reduced benefits to help satisfy an $800,000 shortfall,
which represents 15 percent of the $4.4 million budget. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The union has balked. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The only other viable alternative, LCTA officials say, is to privatize. But
that's unlikely because of "13c." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "13c" is more than just another meaningless bureaucratic number, more than
a clause in the 1964 Urban Mass Transportation Act. It is the hammer driving
the Luzerne County Transportation Authority out of business, some officials
say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 It is the union's bargaining chip against a private takeover that could
leave them without jobs. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The clause bars the use of federal money to lay off public transportation
workers, which means the LCTA would have to forgo the $940,000 it receives in
annual federal aid if it chose to hire a private company that either employed
its own drivers and mechanics or wanted to furlough the LCTA workers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "They can privatize," said Bill MacLunny, business agent for the
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 164. "We're not against privatization, but
whoever wins picks us up." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 That's unlikely to happen, LCTA members say. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Harold Pleiscott, a board member and executive vice president at Martz
Trailways, said the private company pays drivers $8 an hour, almost half the
$14 an hour paid to LCTA drivers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Pleiscott said neither Martz nor any other private company could afford to
take over the LCTA without public subsidies. That's what happened before 1972
when two private companies went belly-up, thereby creating the public LCTA. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "Why is the union afraid of privatization? They can submit their own
proposal," Pleiscott said. "The one who can give you the most amount of
service for the money should be allowed to run it. That's what capitalism is
all about." &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 The authority is considering the legal route. Certain the union would
challenge any privatization effort in court, the authority either could drop
the option or head to court. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "I'm not sure we could win -- 13c is pretty tough to get around," Sobeski
said. "Realistically, the only glimmer of hope is in the union's hands. If
they want their jobs, take the $2-an-hour cut."

`13c' Makes Private Buses Unlikely Here Clause In 1964 Transit Act Prohibits The Use Of Federal Money In Layoffs Of Transportation Workers