Orange County Transportation Authority bus drivers were picketing outside the agency’s headquarters Monday morning, the day before a possible strike of hundreds of the coach operators over stalled contract negotiations.
About 50 people showed up to rally as the OCTA board meeting got started inside. Some elected officials, including District Attorney Todd Spitzer and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, spoke in support of the union’s interests in the negotiations.
Spitzer said he was in favor of retroactive raises for the drivers and meal and rest breaks. He also said he supported drivers being able to defend themselves when endangered.
Union and OCTA officials have been trying to agree on a new contract for the agency’s bus drivers for more than a year. The Teamsters Local 952, which represent about 600 coach operators, has threatened to strike as soon as midnight Tuesday if the OCTA does not budge on what union officials say have been fair proposals over break time and wage adjustments. The existing collective bargaining agreement expired in April.
Both parties have acknowledged the impact a strike would have on the public, and said they hoped to come to a resolution.
In a statement released early Monday morning, Teamsters 952 secretary-treasurer Eric Jimenez said “the ball is in Orange County Transportation Authority’s court.”
OCTA CEO Darrell Johnson has said the agency has provided its bus drivers “with a very generous offer that compensates them for the essential work they perform.”
The groups met several times last week and over the weekend, bringing in a third party state mediator to help move discussions forward. But the talks were “both lengthy and unproductive,” Jimenez said.
The Teamsters and OCTA officials were expected to meet again Monday afternoon “in a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement,” the union said in a news release.
In the event of a strike, 20 bus routes throughout Orange County would be impacted. Those routes represent about 75% of ridership.
Photographer Mindy Schauer contributed to this report.
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