Bus Drivers Vote Sunday on OCTD’s ‘Final’ Offer

With the possibility of a strike affecting 110,000 regular bus riders in the balance, the Orange County Transit District’s 732 bus drivers are to vote Sunday night on whether to accept what OCTD officials are calling their final contract offer.

Negotiations between the United Transportation Union Local 19 and OCTD officials ended late Thursday night with OCTD presenting its “last and final offer,” said OCTD spokeswoman Joanne Curran.

UTU and OCTD officials declined Friday to provide details of the latest offer or even to say whether union leaders will recommend acceptance or rejection of the proposed three-year pact.

However, sources familiar with the negotiations said some drivers have threatened to hold a no-confidence vote against union leaders if they proceed with plans to recommend acceptance of the proposed contract.

‘Sentiment for a Strike’

“There is sentiment for a strike among some of the drivers, even though it’s just before Christmas, and we all need the money,”said a union member who requested anonymity.

UTU Local 19 General Chairman Juliene Smith, who only two weeks ago said “there’s no need for a strike,” was being questioned by union members about the proposed contract and her bargaining tactics at the local’s Tustin office Friday afternoon, according to union sources. Smith could not be reached for comment.

OCTD drivers have been working without a contract since Oct. 31.

Under the previous three-year contract, the top salary earned by senior OCTD drivers was $13 an hour. Curran said this compares to $13.58 an hour for RTD drivers in Los Angeles, $13.04 in Long Beach and $12.79 in San Diego. Information on average wages was not available Friday.

Would Not Signal Strike

Rejection of the latest contract offer would not automatically signal a strike since no strike vote has been taken. However, such a vote probably would occur immediately after a decision Sunday night to reject OCTD’s latest offer, UTU members said.

OCTD drivers staged a 22-day walkout in 1981, the only strike by drivers in OCTD’s 14-year history.

Curran said Friday that the district was developing contingency plans for a strike but that details would not be announced until Monday morning if drivers reject the proposed contract Sunday night.

However, Curran said generally that an attempt would be made to use supervisorial personnel who were promoted from the drivers’ ranks--and who still possess valid Class II California licenses--to operate some routes countywide, with reduced frequency of service.

She said the extent and frequency of service would be determined partly by how many drivers choose to cross union picket lines.

Meanwhile, Curran said OCTD would make available a hot line to provide bus riders with car-pool information, but specifics will not be announced unless a vote Sunday night makes it necessary.

In the 1981 strike all buses were idled, but few problems were reported by commuters or their employers. Absenteeism at job sites was about normal, with most employers saying that people had simply found other ways to get to work, including car pools or returning to their own vehicles.

The 1981 strike was followed by an increase in ridership, despite a 50% fare hike.