Authority, union reach agreement

Bus riders no longer need to fear a strike. ‘ ‘ ‘ The Port Authority Board of Directors and… Bus riders no longer need to fear a strike. ‘ ‘ ‘ The Port Authority Board of Directors and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, which represents local bus drivers, reached an agreement last month, after spending four days in late November bargaining in Washington, D.C., with the help of the AFL-CIO, a national organization of transit unions. ‘ ‘ ‘ Local 85 members approved the terms of the agreement Dec. 7, and the Port Authority directors approved it Dec. 15. ‘ ‘ ‘ The agreement, which will save the Port Authority an estimated $92 million or more, requires employees to triple the amount of money they contribute to their health care by Jan. 1, 2011. The conditions of post-retirement health care benefits will change to encourage employees to delay retirement until they are at least 60 years old and have at least 30 years of service.