When Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato meets with Port Authority management and union officials today for ongoing contract talks, his message will remain the same: Labor costs at the authority must change.

His presence at the talks became a point of contention yesterday when Patrick McMahon, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 85, called on Mr. Onorato to personally take a lead role in the labor negotiations if he wants to see the kind of cost restructuring he has called for at the authority.

"In the past, what we did when we had an impasse was have someone like Mr. Onorato get involved to act as a mediator in negotiations. This time, instead of [Mr. Onorato], we have been meeting with his staff," Mr. McMahon said.

But Mr. Onorato countered that not only has he met with both management and union officials several times, key members of his staff have been at the negotiating table for every step along the way.

"I have committed to be at every single meeting as they work through this," he said. "But [Mr. McMahon] knows I can't be at every meeting. When my county manager and chief of staff are at the table, they represent me. They represent the weight of this office."

For his part, Port Authority Executive Director Steve Bland said management would not say whether Mr. Onorato should be seated at the negotiating table.

"We don't have a position on whether [Mr. Onorato] should be in or out," he said. "Contract negotiations like this take a lot of time, and you have to ask yourself, 'What's not getting done for Allegheny County when he is in our negotiations?' "

Mr. Bland characterized today's talks between management and the unions as "just an exchanging of ideas." He added that "Mr. Onorato has summarized the key issues in these negotiations, which are health care and legacy costs."

The dustup between Mr. Onorato and Mr. McMahon was sparked by the county chief executive's decision on Monday to freeze any new funding for the Port Authority until its labor unions make certain concessions. The authority's current three-year contract with Local 85 will expire in June.

Mr. Onorato has said he wants Local 85 to accept concessions similar to those that the authority's management and nonunion employees agreed to in March. They include a wage freeze, higher contributions for health insurance, and elimination of early retirement and retiree health insurance.

Without the concessions, Mr. Onorato has said he will withhold the county's $30 million subsidy, even if his two new taxes -- 10 percent on poured alcoholic drinks and $2-a-day on car rentals -- to fund mass transit are approved.

The county's subsidy is critical for the authority to leverage state funds.

But Mr. McMahon yesterday said he would not agree to the same concessions that management and nonunion employees agreed to previously.

"One thing is sure," he said. "Mr. Onorato point-blank put out a message that we have to make these concessions. We have already told them that if that's where they are going with this, let's not waste time."

Still sticking to his position that the Port Authority must adjust its labor costs, especially health care and legacy costs, Mr. Onorato struck a conciliatory chord yesterday.

"[Local 85] has been good to us," he said. "We will get this resolved. We have been working together for a long time."

First Published: November 28, 2007, 5:00 a.m.