Contract Bus Drivers Strike Over Cuts in Wages, Benefits

Drivers for four bus lines that mainly serve the San Fernando Valley began a strike Monday to protest pay cuts imposed by a new employer.

Union members and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials differed over the effect the drivers’ strike has had on bus lines 96, 167, 218 and 603, which are operated by Transportation Concepts Inc., a private contractor, for the MTA.

MTA officials say buses on those lines generally ran on time Monday, despite the walkout by the three dozen drivers that began at 4 a.m. Members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 848 say their strike resulted in service delays as Transportation Concepts sought replacement drivers.

While the MTA operates about 200 lines with its own drivers, 21 of its routes with low ridership are run by contractors. The four lines involved in the strike serve about 13,000 riders a day, a fraction of the agency’s weekday average of 1.2 million boardings.

In May, the MTA board awarded a $36.3-million, five-year contract to Transportation Concepts to run the four Valley lines, two of which were formerly operated by contractor First Transit.

The former First Transit drivers have been asked to take cuts in pay, sick leave and vacation time, according to the union. In some cases, veteran drivers face a drop in their hourly pay from $14 to $10, according to Eric Tate, business representative for the Teamsters. The company, he said, wants “them to start like new hires.”

“We’re asking to keep what we already have -- nothing more, nothing less,” Tate said.

The striking drivers on Monday picketed outside an East Los Angeles bus depot. Tate said his drivers would continue the strike “as long as it takes.”

Transportation Concepts did not return calls seeking comment.

Transit advocates say “contract shuffling” -- when employees are expected to do the same work but under a new employer who pays less -- is a trend.

“It’s a really hideous thing for workers,” said Bart Reed, executive director of the Transit Coalition, a Sylmar-based nonprofit group. “The highest and best business ethics would be to maintain pay and benefits as it is.”

On Monday, the United Transportation Union -- which represents about 5,000 MTA bus and rail operators -- showed no sign it would support the Teamsters’ strike.

“Our members have been instructed to report to work and do their jobs,” said Goldy Norton, spokesman for the transportation union, which brought transit in Los Angeles County to a virtual standstill two years ago for 35 days when its members refused to cross picket lines for a mechanics’ strike.

MTA officials said they did not plan to get involved in the dispute.

“This is a private carrier. They’re responsible for their negotiations,” said MTA spokesman Marc Littman.