LANCASTER – Bus drivers are back on the job in the Antelope Valley this week, despite rejecting a contract offer from management over the weekend.
About 120 drivers with the Antelope Valley Transit Authority walked off the job Friday, March 17, over disagreements between their union and Transdev, which contracts with the AVTA.
On Saturday, the drivers rejected Transdev’s latest offer, but drivers decided to return to work Sunday while the issues concerning wages and working conditions continue to be hashed out.
“…In order to restore service to the public, the drivers have elected to return to work to give Transdev and the ATVA the opportunity to … resolve the serious issues raised by the bus drivers,” said Eric Tate, secretary-treasurer of Teamsters Local 848.
Tate told City News Service Monday that the drivers voted 104 to 0 to reject the latest offer on Saturday, and that no date currently exists for a return to negotiations.
“We’re looking for the company to step up and return to the bargain table seriously,” he said, adding that the issues went beyond just wages.
“There are a lot of working condition problems with the buses, mandatory overtime, that’s the reasons they went on strike on Friday,” Tate said.
The bus drivers specified their grievances last week in a letter to The AV Times. [Read it here.]
Efforts to reach ATVA officials for comment were unsuccessful.
The transit agency released statements regarding the strike on Friday and Saturday.
“While AVTA is not a party to the strike initiated by the Teamsters Local 848, we encourage both parties to utilize federal mediation to resolve this dispute.” AVTA officials said in the statement. [Read both statements here.]
The agency operates a fleet of 75 buses providing service primarily to residents of Lancaster, Palmdale and certain unincorporated parts of northern Los Angeles County.
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Utter stupidity says
This is a comment for “problem solved/fire them all” cause you’re obviously the same idiot…You suggest giving new drivers all the things the present drivers are asking for…Do you realise how retarded that is…If they were willing to give them what they were asking for in the 1st place there wouldn’t have been a walk off. The company is so criminal they make drivers take a 3 hour break between 4 hour shifts so they don’t have to pay them for their 2 federally mandated 15 minute breaks in a normal 8 hour work day. So drivers have to spend 11 hours a day to get an 8 hour day in & they get robbed for 30 minutes pay.
Problem solved says
I say fire ALL of the AVTA drivers and have drivers form Los Angeles and Kern County fill in for them.
Tim Scott says
LOL…what makes you think drivers from LA or Kern County would be interested in this “filling in”? One of the many issues here is that Transdev pays so far below the going rate for drivers.
Fire them all says
With as many qualified bus drivers that are out of work in Kern County and in Los Angeles they would be more than happy to work. Some money is better than no money.
Get the new drivers and give them what the AVTA drivers are asking for. People have to be made examples of. FIRE THEM ALL!
Tim Scott says
Can you in any way shape or form support this idea that there are bunches of qualified out of work bus drivers just standing around somewhere, or is that something you just yanked out your bung because it sounds like it supports your position?
Robert says
Bet most of those employees were running out of cash, had to return to work to make ends meet?
Or? AVTA was in process of recruiting permanent replacements?
Tim Scott says
LOL…sure Robert, they were out of money after one day off the job. They walked out to show they are willing, and came back on Monday so the public doesn’t have to pay the price for Transdev’s poor management. AVTA should read the writing on the wall, recognize who actually cares about the people that they as a public entity are supposed to represent, and dump Transdev. There are other management companies, and some of them actually give a damn about the public.
William says
I saw an AVTA bus today and thought it was a charter bus or an RV until I noticed the giant word PARRIS slapped on each side over a dark background. And, I mean GIANT. 3-4 foot tall letters.
It may have well said TRUMP. Both men are pathologica whatevers.
Let’s see. rex pushed the electric bus deal then painted his law firm’s name on them. In effect, he now has traveling billboards as if their weren’t enough around the Antelope Valley. I wonder if he got a discount on the ad spaces.
The funny thing is the people on the bus can’t see the ads but the rest of us have to. Oh, the humanity.