Although moving ahead on the Crenshaw Line project was the big news out of yesterday’s Metro Board of Director’s meeting, there was one other item voted on near the end of the meeting worth mentioning.

The Board also extended labor contracts with four unions until June 30, 2010 (see item 53 on the Board agenda). The contracts cover about 8,000 Metro employees, including approximately 5,000 bus and train operators and schedulers and 2,200 mechanics and maintenance workers, as well as store clerks, telephone information operators and security guards.

This is a temporary extension during ongoing negotiations for new long-term contracts with all four unions. The last long-term deal expired this past summer.