Orange County Bus Drivers’ Walkout Strands Thousands

Bus drivers in Orange County, who have worked without a labor contract since Oct. 30, launched a strike Monday that stranded thousands of commuters.

The walkout--which came after drivers rejected Orange County Transit District officials’ final contract offer Sunday night--severed most OCTD bus links with the Southern California Rapid Transit District. The strike does not affect RTD bus schedules.

Some students missed their classes, and factory, shop and domestic workers who make up a large share of OCTD riders arrived at work late or not at all. Most residents weathered the first day of the strike by turning to friends and co-workers for rides. Still, some found the strike frustrating.

“I take the bus a lot to get to work,” said Evelyn Clinton, 52, a social worker in Santa Ana. “But when this happens, I get mad.”

Members of Tustin-based United Transportation Union Local 19 voted 485 to 182 at 11:35 p.m. Sunday to reject the district’s offer of a 7.5% wage increase over the next 3 1/2 years. The strike began less than 30 minutes later, at 12:01 a.m.

No negotiating sessions have been held since the district made what it called its “last and final offer” Thursday night, and none was scheduled Monday.

Local 19 General Chairman Juliene Smith, who was on the picket lines Monday, said the union had requested a 10% wage increase over the next three years. She said the union called Monday for appointment of a state mediator and that the transit district previously had rejected binding arbitration. OCTD officials said they were considering the mediation proposal.

Key sticking points in the negotiations, according to both sides, have been the district’s bids to increase the use of part-time drivers, reduce absenteeism and force drivers to use a drug-use screening procedure set up by OCTD before renewing their licenses.

Currently, the district requires drug tests only of drivers who have committed driving offenses or been accused of job-related misconduct.

District supervisors and trainees were able to operate 72 coaches Monday, with reduced frequency, on 13 of the district’s 53 routes. OCTD officials said an average of 39,110 people rely on the district’s buses to get to work each weekday. They say there are a total of 112,474 boardings on an average weekday.

Only one of the 300 drivers scheduled to work Monday morning crossed the picket line, OCTD spokeswoman Claudia Keith said. There are 732 OCTD drivers in all.

“We’ve had a 100% increase in telephone calls from the public,” Keith said. She said the district received 2,500 phone calls between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. Monday.

Currently, drivers are paid $9.56 to $13 an hour.

Although police said there had been several complaints about picket lines blocking buses and people crossing the lines, the only incidents reported involved a union member who was arrested after allegedly striking a car and a bus that sideswiped a parked vehicle as it left the OCTD bus yard early Monday morning.

OCTD officials urged people to call (714) 636-RIDE for bus schedules and car-pool information.

The strike is the second in the district’s 14-year history. A similar walkout in February, 1981, lasted 22 days.