Transit Strike Negotiations Collapse; No New Talks Set

With a vote by bus drivers on whether to continue their strike scheduled for Saturday, negotiations between union representatives and Orange County Transit District officials broke down again Thursday.

District officials blamed the collapse of the talks on the union’s failure to heed their warning that the district’s final contract offer would not be substantially altered. The district has vowed to hire permanent replacements for drivers who do not return to work by Monday.

“The district was very disappointed after talks broke off this evening,” said Transit District spokeswoman Joanne Curran. Reading from a prepared statement, she added:

“It was the district’s understanding that the union wanted to meet to discuss returning to work based on OCTD’s final offer. The district was willing to meet to clarify that offer. During the meeting, however, the union clearly stated that the district’s offer was totally unacceptable and that the union was asking for substantive changes to the district’s final offer.

“The issues continue to include absenteeism, an improved drug-testing program and increased use of part-time drivers. . . . We are left with no choice but to continue with our plan to hire permanent replacements on Monday.”

No New Talks Scheduled

No new talks have been scheduled, Curran said.

Officials of Tustin-based United Transportation Union Local 19 could not be reached for comment. However, rank-and-file drivers said before Thursday’s talks broke off that union leaders already had called a Saturday afternoon meeting of union members for a vote on whether to continue the strike.

A union member close to the negotiations said there eventually may be a “cooling-off period” during which drivers would return to work even if they still object to management’s contract offer.

The same source said “serious efforts are under way to shorten the strike and get people back to work.”

Before the talks broke down, the two sides met for three hours Thursday at an undisclosed location.

8 Crossed Picket Line

Eight more drivers crossed the picket lines Thursday morning, bringing the total number of drivers who have gone back to work to 34, Curran said. The district has 732 regular drivers.

Transit District officials announced that another route will be added to today’s bus schedule--Number 42, from the Mall of Orange to the Buena Park Mall, via Lincoln Avenue. The total number of routes being served during the strike is now 14 of 53.

Several hundred drivers attended their union’s regular meeting Wednesday night and heard union leaders say that OCTD officials had “modified” their position on some provisions of their contract offer. But members who were present said they were given no specifics.

Questions were raised about strike benefits, expected to be as high as $285 a month, union members said, with some drivers complaining that they had not been told that they had to staff picket lines and possibly wait more than 30 days before receiving payments.

District officials on Thursday insisted that they have not changed their contract offer.

“It’s the same offer,” Curran said. “If we changed it, that would just invite a strike every three years.”

Last weekend the two sides camped out in different rooms, communicating through a state mediator.

The strike began Dec. 8 after union members overwhelmingly rejected management’s offer of a 7.5% wage hike over 3 1/2 years. The union sought a 13% pay raise over the same period and objected to contract provisions that would mandate drug testing at district-selected labs for drivers renewing their state licenses, increase the use of part-time personnel, curtail absenteeism and boost contracting-out of routes and services to private firms.