Coach Operator Strike Forces
Major Reduction In Bus Service Customers advised to check OCTA Web site or call for service updates ORANGE – Members of the coach operators’ union decided to strike when a state-mandated 60-day cooling-off period expired Friday and union leaders declined a contract extension offered by the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA). The strike was called after union leaders declined OCTA’s offer to increase wages and benefits by 14.6 percent over the next three years. The union has also rejected a contract extension that could have prevented a work stoppage. Because of the strike, OCTA has been forced to significantly reduce bus service countywide. “Everyone at OCTA wanted to avoid a strike because of the significant impacts this will have on so much of our community,” said Carolyn Cavecche, OCTA Chairman and Mayor of Orange. “We are making every effort to provide as much service as possible given the difficult situation and we hope we can reach a quick resolution.” ACCESS paratransit, OCTA express bus and Metrolink StationLink bus services are running as usual. The strike does not affect Metrolink trains. OCTA also is operating Route 43 from Fullerton to Costa Mesa along Harbor Boulevard from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays only. ACCESS paratransit standard fares do apply, all other routes in service are free to passengers. A total 31 of OCTA’s 81 routes will be in service. “We recognize this is a terrible inconvenience for our riders,” said Art Leahy, CEO of OCTA. “We’re committed to providing fast and reliable bus service, and that’s why we have called upon union leaders to come back to the negotiating table. The coach operators, their families and the more than 220,000 daily riders who depend upon the bus service will all be hurt by this strike.” For the latest information: www.octa.net or call (714) 636-7433 (RIDE). For carpool information: (800) COMMUTE or www.commutesmart.info
For cab companies: (949) 654-8294 or www.octap.net
For OC Flyer: www.octa.net/ocflyer
Teamsters on strike against OCTA. 
In an ongoing labor dispute from May of this year in California, United States, Teamsters Local 952, which represents the Orange County Transportation Authority's 1,200 coach operators, went on strike at 12:35 a.m. (0035 hrs) PDT Saturday morning after a cooling-off period declared by State Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger expired.

Sanctioned picket lines have been formed outside Authority facilities in Garden Grove, Anaheim, and Santa Ana. About 200,000 regular passengers are affected. 

Major sticking points in the negotiation appear to be related to cost-of-living increases and pension funding allocations. The strike was declared after the Authority's bargaining agent said he lacked authority to approve a union counter proposal, which he said had to be taken before the OCTA's board of directors, who will not be available to meet until Monday the 9th at the earliest.