The Orange County Transportation Authority’s (OCTA) Board of Directors approved a new three-year collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the union that represents OC Bus drivers.
The CBA with Teamsters Local 952 includes wage increases of 14 percent during the next three years, beginning May 2024 and running through April 2027.
“We appreciate the Teamsters efforts to negotiate in good faith and reach a fair and competitive deal for our valued employees,” said OCTA Chair Tam T. Nguyen. “Our coach operators perform a vital service and are often the face of OCTA, the people that thousands of bus passengers rely on for the highest level of safe and reliable service.”
OCTA directly employees approximately 600 coach operators while approximately another 330 are contracted.
Other highlights of the contract, previously approved by a vote of union membership before going to the OCTA Board of Directors for approval, include an accelerated wage scale that allows coach operators to advance to the top rate after four years instead of five years. Drivers will also receive higher wages during training, a higher uniform allowance and bonuses for working days with historically high absentee rates.
Safety is also reinforced in the contract. OCTA and the union will work together to form a committee to further focus on safety. In the wake of several recent high-profile safety incidents in the region involving bus drivers, OCTA continues to expand safety measures to protect coach operators, including installing more safety barriers on OC Buses and refining training to de-escalate and resolve conflicts on buses.
