OCTA paratransit drivers on strike, citing stalled contact talks with third-party employer

Hundreds of bus drivers responsible for shuttling disabled and elderly riders through the Orange County Transportation Authority’s OC ACCESS paratransit service went on strike this week, citing stalled contract negotiations with the third-party company that employs them.

Some 250 employees represented by Teamsters Local 952 walked off the job Wednesday afternoon, returning their vehicles to an Irvine site operated by Transdev North America and assuming their places in a 24-hour picket line outside the office that serves as a hub for OC ACCESS.

Secretary-Treasurer and Local 952 Principal Officer Eric Jimenez said Friday bargaining talks began in October, ahead of a Dec. 31 contract expiration date, and officially reached a stalemate last week.

OC ACCESS driver Lydie Johnson takes a break from the picket line Friday outside the Irvine office of employer Transdev North America.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

“The company gave us their last, best and final offer, and it was rejected by our members,” Jimenez said, adding that a strike authorization vote was taken by members months earlier.

Other than cost-of-living pay increases for drivers, who typically earn a starting wage of about $16 to $17 per hour, there are three main bargaining issues behind the stalled talks.

Jimenez said Transdev has proposed mandatory 50-hour work weeks for employees currently contracted to work 40 hours weekly. The company is also reportedly forcing drivers to take mandatory 2½-hour unpaid lunch breaks in the middle of their shifts.

“Once you drop your last passenger off, you park somewhere within the vicinity and you’re stuck out there for the duration of 2½ hours,” Jimenez said, adding that drivers cannot run their vehicles, or air-conditioning, during that time. “It’s unreasonable to be asking for that, and it’s really a safety concern.”

Another sticking point is the company’s desire to further subcontract out work to another company and bring on drivers who earn even less pay to cut costs further.

A parked OC ACCESS bus is seen Friday behind picketers at an OCTA bus yard in Irvine.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)

Jimenez explained that third-party companies contracting with public agencies often submit exceedingly low bids in an effort to win the contract, then request more funding when the work cannot be done for the promised amount. If the agency refuses, the subcontractor then must pay up or make cuts.

“It’s really a standoff situation with OCTA and their subcontractors,” he said. “Our members are just collateral damage.”

Following Wednesday’s strike, OCTA advised paratransit riders to expect delays or make alternate travel arrangements if possible. Officials said OC ACCESS subscriptions and same-day taxi services would be temporarily discontinued but clarified regular bus service is not being impacted.

Transdev, an international transportation company headquartered in France, acquired previous employer, First Transit, Inc., in March after announcing its intentions to do so in October.

Mitun Seguin, vice president of marketing and communications for Transdev, said by email Friday First Transit was still engaged in talks with representatives from Teamsters 952.

“[We remain] hopeful that we will come to an amicable resolution soon with minimal disruption to the riding public,” Seguin wrote. “First Transit remains committed to the collective bargaining process and working directly with the union to determine next steps.”

Workers participated in a rally outside the office Friday morning and were joined by Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan, who both serve on OCTA’s Board of Directors, and Gloria Alvarado, executive director of the Orange County Federation of Labor.

Jimenez said morale among the 250 drivers and the 40 to 50 mechanics and dispatchers, who also walked off the job in solidarity with their co-workers, was “sky high.”

“Obviously, a strike puts a financial strain on people’s lives,” he said, “but they’re holding pretty tight.”

OCTA paratransit drivers, who called a strike Wednesday afternoon, claim employer Transdev wants to mandate a 50-hour work week and hourslong unpaid lunch periods.

(Scott Smeltzer / Staff Photographer)