OC bus strike deadline elapses with OCTA and union still negotiating – Orange County Register

Union officials told their members in an early Tuesday morning update that they had passed a midnight deadline for a possible strike by bus drivers in Orange County.

Teamsters Local 952, which represents about 600 OCTA bus drivers, told members that negotiations were still ongoing and that to double-check updates, at least avert a strike that would exposes thousands of passengers who rely on Orange County Transit Authority bus services to work, school, and the surrounding area.

Union and OCTA officials have been trying to agree a new contract for the agency’s bus drivers for more than a year, but have stalled over pay and time off issues. The union threatened to strike shortly after 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, February 15.

Bus drivers represented in the bargaining unit that includes 23 bus routes across Orange County will be affected. Those routes account for about 75% of the number of passengers, the agency contracts for its other routes.