BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Shifting our focus now, as we turn our attention to Los Angeles, where a transit strike, now, is in its seventh day. Negotiators expected to return back to the bargaining table later today in an effort to get those bus and train operators back on the job. Helen Kumari of our affiliate KCBS now live L.A. with more. Helen, good morning to you. How are things now? A week old in this issue.</s>HELEN KUMARI, KCBS REPORTER: Good morning, Bill. This has been an extremely tough week in southern California, day seven of the MTA strike affecting literally millions of people. Behind me, you can see a small group of protesters. We are here at the Santa Monica bus station in West Hollywood. Half a million people have been stranded this week from getting to work, school and the hospital. Bus drivers have lost seven days of pay and thousands of freeway commuters have been affected on the freeways, as people carpool and get rides from friends and co-workers. At issue: the MTA says they have to do something to compensate for the huge cost of operating the second largest bus system in the country. They say they face a $438 million dollar deficit over the next 10 years if they don't increase bus fares or cut costs. They want to cut overtime pay to bus drivers by 15 percent. They're offering a 2.7 raise for three years, The union wants a 4 percent raise every year over that same three-year period. This is day seven. Negotiations were -- happened on Wednesday. They went for 10 hours. There were no negotiations yesterday. But they are expected to continue today at 10:00 a.m., our time. It's 7:00 a.m. now. So, in about three hours they are expected, both sides, to head back to the table to make some progress -- Bill.</s>HEMMER: All right, Helen Kumari, KCBS there, on the picket line in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Bus Drivers and MTA to Continue Negotiations Today