The Orange County Transportation Authority is notifying passengers that bus service will be halted throughout the county beginning Thursday, Nov. 3, after maintenance employees began striking this afternoon.

Passengers are asked to continue checking octa.net for service updates. ACCESS service for those with disabilities will continue as usual.

OCTA remains committed to reaching a resolution and was expecting to resume negotiations on Friday, however the union announced a strike. OCTA is willing to meet with the union at any point.

OCTA’s contract offer – which equals a 14.25% wage increase over the three years, compensates the maintenance employees fairly, is very competitive in Southern California, and is responsible to taxpayers. The offer includes an immediate 5% raise, another 4.75% raise on Oct. 1, 2023, and an additional 4.5% raise starting Oct. 1, 2024.

In addition, OCTA has offered to increase healthcare contributions by 16% over the same period while continuing contributions to the two pension plans that union members receive, including contributing 26.4% of employees’ wages to the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) and $1.30 per hour worked (up to 2,080 hours) to the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Fund.

“We are disappointed the union has called off negotiations and ask that they return to the table so we can reach a fair resolution that rewards our maintenance employees for their great work,” said OCTA Chairman Mark A. Murphy, also the Mayor of Orange. “Thousands of people rely on OC Bus to get to school and work every day, and we hope the union calls off the strike to avoid further hurting the people in Orange County who can least afford to be hurt.”

OCTA’s offer, subject to union ratification, would result in a top wage of $43.19 an hour for journeyman mechanics – equivalent to nearly $90,000 per year – not including healthcare and pension contributions.

OCTA’s maintenance employees are the only group who are in the Teamsters Labor Alliance Trust fund for their health insurance, meaning the plan cost and design – including premiums, co-pays and benefits – are completely within the control of Teamsters leadership. On average, OCTA’s coach operators, which are under OCTA’s healthcare plan, pay approximately $120 per month for their healthcare contribution.