BUS SERVICE EXPANDED: Bus riders on Monday boarded OCTA route No. 43 at Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue in Fullerton. Limited service on routes 57 and 60 were added Monday before the striking drivers ratified their contract. BRUCE CHAMBERS, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER MORE PHOTOS What is this? Save & share this article These icons link to social bookmarking sites where you can share this story and discover new Web pages. Google del.icio.us Newsvine Spurl.net Slashdot Digg Yahoo! StumbleUpon Reddit
Vote ends bus strike
Bus drivers vote 696-35 to OK contract. Orange County transit board also approves pact. Buses expected on full schedule by midweek.
The Orange County Register
ORANGE  Bus drivers voted yes to approve the proposed contract with the Orange County Transportation Authority, and OCTA has also approved the contract, which brings the weeklong strike to an end.
The vote by union members was 696 yes, 35 no.
We call it a victory, but it was at a loss not only to our drivers but to the riders, said Patrick D. Kelly, secretary-treasurer for Teamsters Local 952. It was a bittersweet victory.
I'm very pleased at this point, said Carolyn Cavecche, chairwoman of the OCTA board.
Kelly said 67 percent of the members turned out Sunday to cast their vote, a lower turnout than the strike vote.
I read that as people are not as mad now as they were before the strike, Kelly said.
The union hall was packed with smiling drivers this morning who said they were excited to go back to work.
We are more than ready because there are a lot of people who depend on us and we are ready to serve, said Leticia Abreu, who has been a bus driver for nine months.
There are people who are totally dependant on buses and they got hurt more than our people, said Arthur Aguilera, a bus driver of 17 years. Our hearts go out to them.
The contract provides a raise for all the drivers, with slightly higher increases for more experienced drivers. It also gives bus drivers a boost in their pension plan and medical benefits.
OCTA spokesman Joel Zlotnik said that with approval by both sides, buses are expected to be back up and running on full schedules by midweek.
Teamsters Local 952 and the Orange County Transportation Authority made peace this morning as coach operators voted 696 to 35 in favour of ratifying a tentative agreement, thus settling a labour dispute that had simmered since May and ending a week-old work stoppage.