Orange County Transportation Authority officials say they are making slow but steady progress on contract talks with their 1,012 bus drivers, and union officials now say a strike seems unlikely.
“We don’t expect any disruption to service for the bus-riding public,the buses are still rolling,” said Patrick Kelly, secretary treasurer of the Orange-based Teamsters Local 952, which represents the bus drivers. “Things are productive right now.”
A five-year contract for the bus drivers ended April 30. The talks could wrap up this month, according to Kelly and OCTA officials. Both sides have described the talks as “cordial and productive.”
The union is setting its sights on restoring wage and benefit cuts made during the county bankruptcy several years ago, according to Kelly.
“We’re also looking at improving things like pensions and retiree medical benefits,” he said.
The union signed on to its 1996 contract at the urging of OCTA, which suffered a financial loss in 1994 after the county’s investment pool went bust. The agency still is required to divert $15 million a year in transportation funds to help pay off bankruptcy debt.
At the time, OCTA cut 40 administrative positions, canceled contracts and postponed road projects.
Drivers took a 3% pay cut with a two-year freeze.
The talks come as OCTA is wrestling with lower-than-expected bus ridership projections following recent fare hikes and route changes. This year, OCTA officials project around 57 million bus boardings, compared to a target of 60.7 million. Revenue for the year had been pegged at $39.3 million, but could come in closer to $37.7 million, they said.
Because of relatively low ridership, a bus driver’s strike in OC wouldn’t be as significant as it was in Los Angeles last summer. Still, an interruption in service would leave many manufacturing and service industry workers scrambling to find other ways to work.
“A couple months ago I would’ve said that the possibility of a strike was pretty good, but things have gone very smoothly,” an OCTA spokesman said.
Any agreement on wages and benefits is expected to be retroactive to May 1, according to a joint statement released by both sides.
“We’re optimistic and negotiations have been going well so far,” Kelly said. “But things are moving slowly and we still have quite a bit of work to do.”
Orange-based OCTA officials say they have kept a tight reign on new hiring and wage hikes for coach operators since the county bankruptcy.
The bus drivers had expressed concerns that their post-bankruptcy wages and benefits failed to reflect OC’s robust economic growth in recent years.
OCTA’s mechanics also have a contract up this year. OCTA recently renewed a one-year pact with its parts clerks. n
