Teamsters Make Bid to Represent OCTD’s Drivers

Teamsters Union officials have warned the Orange County Transit District not to enter into any agreements with United Transportation Union Local 19 because of Teamster plans to take over representation of the county’s bus drivers, transit district officials said Monday.

OCTD spokeswoman Joanne Curran said a mailgram notifying district officials of the Teamsters bid to recruit UTU’s membership was received Monday from Arlene Mordasini, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 911, based in Long Beach.

Transit district drivers staged a strike last month that ended when they voted to return to work Dec. 22 without a contract.

The mailgram, which was addressed to OCTD General Manager James Reichert at the district’s Garden Grove headquarters, said the Teamsters would file a representation petition with the State Mediation and Conciliation Service in Sacramento.

“While this process is in progress and the question of representation is undecided, you are advised not to enter into a collective bargaining agreement or contract with any other labor organization . . . , “ the mailgram read.

Curran said the Teamsters had acquired signatures from 30% of UTU’s members, the minimum needed for filing the petition with the mediation and conciliation office.

If the state agency accepts the petition, it can call for an election in which the bus drivers would choose between the Teamsters and their present union.

Juliene K. Smith, general chairwoman of UTU Local 19, said she was aware of the Teamsters’ desire to take over representation.

“They will not be successful,” Smith said. “They tried this three years ago, and they weren’t successful then.”

UTU has represented OCTD bus drivers since 1974. The drivers’ latest contract expired Oct. 30, and approximately 730 drivers worked without a contract until Dec. 8 when they staged a 13-day strike.

When the drivers returned to work, OCTD unilaterally instituted several key provisions of its last contract offer, including occasional drug testing, an increase in the percentage of part-time drivers the district can use and contracting out specialty routes to private companies instead of using company personnel.