The midnight deadline for a possible strike by bus drivers in Orange County passed with negotiators still at the table, union officials told their members in an early Tuesday morning update.

Teamsters Local 952, which represents about 600 OCTA bus drivers, told its members talks were still ongoing and to check back for updates, averting at least for now a strike that would strand thousands of riders who rely on the Orange County Transportation Authority’s bus services to get to work, school and around the region.

Union and OCTA officials have been trying to agree on a new contract for the agency’s bus drivers for more than a year, stalling on issues of wages and break time. The union had threatened to strike as soon as 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.

The bus drivers represented in the bargaining unit cover 23 bus routes throughout Orange County that would be impacted. Those routes represent about 75% of ridership, the agency contracts for its other routes.

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