Images of a union divided and beset by animosity were visible on the street outside last night’s Transportation Worker Union executive board meeting, the first such meeting since union members voted down the contract earlier last month.

Under the glare of camera lights, heated arguments between dissident union leaders and supporters of Local 100’s president, Roger Toussaint, delayed the meeting for more than two hours. Also, a group of union division leaders attempted to gain access to the closed building, which required the police to become involved.

Union leaders said the ranks were more unified inside the meeting, with board members voting by a 3-1 majority to support Mr. Toussaint in a second round of negotiations.

After the meeting Mr.Toussaint reiterated that the union is opposed to binding arbitration. He said the union leaders who told members to vote against the contract and the press had sabotaged a good contract. Mr. Toussaint said he had contacted the Metropolitan Transportation Authority about restarting negotiations.

“We intend to focus all our energies over the next several days to get to the negotiations,” he said.

After the meeting ended, four dissident union vice presidents, John Mooney, Ainsley Stewart, George Perlstein, and Martin Goodman, told reporters that they weren’t allowed to make motions during the meeting and that none of the major issues, including what a second contract would look like and the possibility of a mass-membership meeting, were discussed.

“The president came in like a dictator, as usual,” Mr. Stewart said. “He had his agenda planned and he executed it.”

One issue the dissident vice presidents and Mr. Toussaint’s backers appeared to agree on was that a second strike is unlikely.