Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) fixed route bus service has resumed with the authority warning of potential delays after picket lines lifted on a 96-hour strike by Teamsters Local 952, which represents approximately 150 mechanics, machinists and service workers employed by OCTA.
OCTA fixed route bus service has been suspended since Thursday morning due to the strike that began the afternoon of Nov. 2. Both sides returned to the bargaining table throughout the weekend and are scheduled to meet again Monday.
Teamsters Local 952 posted an update on Nov. 4 that said it intended to suspend picketing Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. to make sure transit reliant Orange County residents had transportation to get to voting centers for Tuesday’s election.
The union requested its members report to work as scheduled in a Sunday evening update but noted if an agreement is not reached, the picket lines “may go up again this week.”
In a message to riders posted on Sunday evening, OCTA reiterated its commitment to reaching a resolution through negotiations and called the strike unnecessary and an unfair burden to bus passengers.
“We hope that there will be no further disruption in service and that we can work this out without affecting the people that count on OC Bus to get to work, school and other important destinations,” said OCTA Chairman and Mayor of Orange Mark A. Murphy.
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
