The OCTA bus driver’s strike continued unabated today, causing heartbreaking misery for thousands of people. But a glimmer of hope emerged, as reported in the O.C. Register, “OCTA chief negotiator Sherry Bolander and Teamster Union representative Patrick D. Kelly agreed to meet this afternoon to try and hammer out the remaining details of a settlement that would put buses back on the road for an estimated 225,000 stranded commuters.”
The strike appears to be about, “the approximately $700,000 in salary increases the union has requested beyond the $18 million OCTA has offered. How
I like the fact that I can drive around the surface streets without having buses clogging up my lanes. I hope the strike never ends.
Art:
And why must a jitney be “Third World”? You might want to look a little further into the idea rather than selectively quoting Wikipedia and airily dismiss jitneys as some broken down 3rd World minivan.
Demagogue away — what’s irresponsible is your call for the OCTA to simply capitulate to union demands. After all, it’s only taxpayers money.
Matt,
I got that Wikipedia link from YOUR article. Thanks for that by the way.
As for tax money, I would submit that the hit to our local economy due to the strike has far outstripped the measly $700K that we are talking about.
And is there no price on suffering? Thousands of people are hurting right now because of this stupid strike…
#1 thanks for thinking of those around you.
I got that Wikipedia link from YOUR article. Thanks for that by the way.
Yes, I know you did. I got it from John Seiler. The article covers the breadth of what ShareTaxis are — you just cherry picked the most Third World example and tried to present that as what jitneys are.
The OCTA board has done a good job of trying to manage this strike. The predatory bus drivers union took advantage of the good people of Orange County by ratcheting up demands in the face of the hardship the residents are suffering.
The offer is fair and reasonable. When will the union drivers stop screwing the public and get back to work?
I think OCTA should start running ads for new drivers today. If drivers don’t show up on time for work tomorrow, fire their sorry behinds and replace them. That’s a win/win for everyone, as licensed entry level drivers are on the low end of the scale and will save OCTA money that can be used to expand coverage or add more public transportation options.
We can’t continually let the unions hold the public hostage. The drivers are being paid well, and if they don’t like the wage they are getting, they are certainly free to go work for another transit agency.
It’s time to end the nonsense. Let’s get new drivers that place a priority on the trust the public places in them to do their job.
After the strike is over the board of supervisors should look at breaking up OCTA into its separate parts.
Take a look at their budget. I bet that not one of the board of directors of OCTA can explain or even understand this budget, and they vote on its adoption.
#7 I wholeheartedly agree
Still enjoying the lack of bus-blocking congestion on our streets!