OCTA, union create deal to benefit all drivers

Bus service may be up and running again Monday, as the Orange County Transportation Authority and Teamsters Union have reached a tentative agreement after a weeklong strike.

Under the proposal, drivers with five or more years of experience would receive a total 11.25% wage increase over three years, with a 10.5% increase for newer employees. The union is expected to vote on the agreement later this weekend, and the authority’s board of directors has scheduled a special meeting Monday morning in hopes of ratifying the package.

“Nobody wanted this strike,” transportation authority Chairwoman Carolyn Cavecche said. “We feel very badly for our riders and for the fact that our operators and their families lost so many dollars over the last week.”

— Michael Miller