No accord in New York transit labor dispute

Negotiators for the Transit Workers Union and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority returned to the bargaining table Saturday, but the sides had stopped talking by early afternoon with no agreement on a contract that would avoid a &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/366/16614_israel.html' target=_blank>strike.

There was no indication of when, or if, the talks might resume. Two union officials, who said the talks had ended, declined to characterize the negotiations, other than to say there was no progress.

MTA spokesman Tom Kelly described the stoppage as a "recess."

The union's contract expired early Friday without an agreement, but the trains and buses kept running as the union set a new strike deadline for 12:01 a.m. (0501 GMT) Tuesday.