ORANGE (CNS) - Orange County Transportation Authority officials today warned commuters of a potential bus driver strike next week.
OCTA officials are scheduled to meet with representatives of Teamsters Local 952 on Wednesday. If an agreement is not reached a bus driver strike could start Feb. 15.
``Everyone at OCTA wants to avoid a strike because nobody wins,'' said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, who is also the mayor of Orange. ``Any bus service disruption hurts those in our community who can least afford to be hurt at a time when access to transportation is critical. There's no reason we can't continue negotiating in good faith and reach a resolution without putting a tremendous burden on OC Bus riders.''
OCTA officials say about 85% of their riders use the bus as the primary means of transportation with more than half getting by with a household income of less than $50,000 a year.
If the drivers hit the picket lines, the public transportation agency plans to ask state officials to intervene with a ``cooling-off period,'' so negotiations could continue along with service.
Messages left with the local Teamsters leadership were not immediately returned.
OCTA CEO Darrell E. Johnson said his agency has made a ``very generous offer that compensates them for the essential work they perform.''
On Monday, the OCTA board of directors approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the union representing employees in the agency's operations division which includes a 12% increase in wages over the next 14 months and a $1,000 signing bonus.
The agreement with the Transportation Communications Union/International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers also bumps up salaries 8% immediately and then 4% more by April 1, 2023.
OCTA has met with Teamsters representatives 35 times to negotiate a new contract, which expired April 30, 2021.