Orange County District Implements Bus Pact Without Vote or Raise

In a move that stunned striking Orange County bus drivers, transit district officials announced Friday that they are unilaterally implementing a new contract for the drivers, without the 7.5% pay hike the district had offered before the strike began Dec. 8.

The new contract allows the district to increase drug testing and and tightens discipline for unexcused absences. It also allows increased use of part-time drivers and the practice of contracting out routes and services to private firms. The union had objected to all of those provisions.

‘Critically Needed Changes’

“Because the parties have been at impasse over two weeks and there is no resolution in sight, the district has determined that it is appropriate to move ahead with critically needed changes,” said James P. Reichert, general manager of the Orange County Transit District. “Therefore, substantial portions of its final offer made to the UTU (United Transportation Union) will be implemented.”

“This is a blatantly illegal, unfair labor practice,” said James R. Evans, UTU Local 19 lawyer. “We will go to court as soon as possible to challenge this. They can’t do this unless both sides declare an impasse, and we were just meeting with them last night--and we’re still willing to sit down with them and talk. So there is no impasse.”

Evans said Local 19, which represents OCTD’s 732 drivers, probably will seek a court order Monday or Tuesday barring management from enforcing the new contract.

“As far as I know, we’re not through negotiating,” said Juliene Smith, head of the Tustin-based Local 19. “This is going to infuriate the drivers. . . .”

Transit district officials have said they will begin hiring permanent replacements Monday for drivers who have not reported to work. Two more union members crossed the picket line Friday morning, the transit district said, bringing the total number of regular drivers who have returned to work to 36.

District officials said they decided not to give those drivers the wage hike contained in management’s last offer because of doubts about the legality of such action, considering that the drivers are still members of the same bargaining unit that has rejected the contract.

‘They’re Simply Scabs’

But Evans said the district’s refusal to increase their salary while imposing stiffer work rules on them “shows what OCTD really thinks of them. . . . They’re simply scabs.”

The union sought a 13% pay hike over 3 1/2 years compared to the district’s offer of 7.5% over the same period. Currently, the top wage for a driver is $13 an hour.

Talks had broken off last weekend but resumed Wednesday, only to collapse again Thursday evening. No new talks took place Friday, and none were scheduled.

The strike has severed most Orange County transit links with the Southern California Rapid Transit District but does not affect RTD service.