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Onorato, Union Head Clash On KDKA Radio

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Oct 9, 2008 10:02 pm US/Eastern

Onorato, Union Head Clash On KDKA Radio

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ― Tense contract talks between the Port Authority and its drivers' union reached a boiling point today when County Executive Dan Onorato lashed out at the head of the union live on KDKA Radio.

It got real testy at a time when Onorato said Port Authority buses may have to stop running Dec. 1, calling the agency near bankruptcy. Union leaders don't buy that, and when they got together on the radio it got ugly.

Both Onorato, in the studio, and Port Authority Union President Pat McMahon, on the phone, were concerned about what will happen in December if Port Authority buses quit running. Onorato made that very clear that may happen as early as Dec. 1.

The concern regarding the future of the bus system in Allegheny County was expressed by both men, however, one comment by Pat McMahon set Dan Onorato off.

"I guess transit's not that important to this county and Mr. Onorato," McMahon said.

That did it.

"Don't you ever come on this air and say transit isn't important to me," Onorato said. "I spent 12 months of my political life getting my head handed to me on a drink tax.

"You listen to me Pat and I want your drivers that are listening - I hope they're listening. I've had over 20 meetings with you Pat.

"If you want to talk, let's talk the truth. You're not going to get away with lies," Onorato said. "And I will do everything in my powers to avoid a shutdown on December 1st, but I will not allow this to run into the ground in '09 because we can't get anywhere."

KDKA's Marty Griffin talked to Onorato later to get his reaction to the on-air anger over the issue.

"Now I do think though that cooler heads will prevail and Pat needs to get in a room, Port Authority needs to get in a room - if I need to be in the room, I will be in the room but it would be to have productive conversations to fix the problem because there's a big problem over there right now," he said.

McMahon agrees there's a big problem. He says that because they're not talking, he says both sides are at a standstill right now. He's actually hopeful that today's discourse might get them back to the table.

(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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