Marvin Mandel, Governor                          1709

the Authority, subject to all the rights and benefits of this Title.
These employees shall be given seniority credit and sick leave, vaca-
tion, insurance and pension credits in accordance with the records or
labor agreements from the acquired transportation system. Members
and beneficiaries of any pension or retirement system or other
benefits established by the acquired transportation system shall
continue to have rights, privileges, benefits, obligations and status
with respect to such established system. The Authority shall assume
the obligations of any transportation system acquired by it with
regard to wages, salaries, hours, working conditions, sick leave,
health and welfare and pension or retirement provisions for em-
ployees. It shall assume the provisions of any collective bargaining
agreement between such acquired transportation system and the
representatives of its employees. The Authority and the employees,
through their representatives for collective bargaining purposes,
shall take whatever action may be necessary to have pension trust
funds presently under the joint control of the acquired transportation
system and the participating employees through their representative
transferred to the trust fund to be established, maintained and
administered jointly by the Authority and the participating employees
through their representatives. No employee of any acquired trans-
portation system who is transferred to a position with the Authority
shall by reason of such transfer be placed in any worse position
with respect to workmen's compensation, pension, seniority, wages,
sick leave, vacation, health and welfare insurance or any other
benefits, than he enjoyed as an employee of such acquired transporta-
tion system.

317-79.

[All laws of the signatories with respect to free transportation
and school fares shall be applicable to transit service rendered by
facilities owned or controlled by the Authority.] The District of
Columbia, the Northern Virginia Transportation District, the Wash-
ington Suburban Transit District and the component governments
thereof may enter into contracts or agreements with the Authority
to make equitable payments for fares lower than those established
by the Authority pursuant to the provisions of Article XIII hereof
for any specified class or category of riders.

317-82.

(a) The Authority shall have the power to acquire by condemna-
tion, whenever in its opinion it is necessary or advantageous to the
Authority to do so, any real or personal property, or any interest
therein, necessary or useful for the transit system authorized herein,
except property owned by the United States, by a signatory, or any
political subdivision thereof, [or by a private transit company.J
whenever such property cannot be acquired by negotiated purchase
at a price satisfactory to the Authority.

Sec. 2. And be it further enacted, That it is the sense of the
General Assembly in enacting this legislation that the "public opera-
tion" contemplated herein shall consist of an integrated bus and
subway system if and when the subway system is operated.