Commuters stranded as California rocked by labour disputes

LABOUR disputes struck hard across southern California yesterday, leaving hundreds of thousands of commuters stranded, grocery shoppers inconvenienced and county jails and courts threatened with closure.

The strike against the Metropolitan Transportation Authority stalled the nation's third-largest mass-transit system. Some 2,000 MTA mechanics walked out, with another 6,000 bus drivers and clerks honouring the mechanics' picket lines.

"I'm just stranded," said commuter David Strattling, aged 59, who made it to Union Station on a bus line not affected by the strike before realising he couldn't go any farther. "I won't be able to go to work today."