Officials of the North Suburban Mass Transit District (Nortran) and the union that represents its bus drivers and mechanics reportedly were making progress Wednesday in negotiations for a new contract to replace an agreement that expires Aug. 15. Local 1028 of the Amalgamated Transit Union has proposed a 17 percent pay increase over two years for Nortran`s 163 drivers and a 19 percent increase for its 43 mechanics. The transit agency, which serves 36,000 passengers a day in 27 northwestern suburbs and Chicago, is seeking a 5 percent across-the-board pay cut. Union members have authorized union officials to call a strike, though no date has been set. Timothy Doron, Nortran executive director, said a walkout is ”a possibility,” but he said negotiators were making progress.
