A strike could stop bus service in Orange County as soon as Monday.
The mechanics’ union voted to strike, but county negotiators and union leaders are holding last-minute negotiations Sunday in an effort to hold off the strike.
Regardless, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA) says passengers should be prepared to make other plans.
The OCTA says it had been involved in ongoing negotiations.
“No one wants to see a strike happen,” said Joel Slotnik, a spokesperson for the OCTA said. “I think we can all agree on that. Riders depend upon public transit. About 85 percent of our riders use the bus as their primary means of transportation to get to work, to get to school, to doctors appointments. And we don’t want to see them hurt by this.”
Teamsters Local 952, the union representing the employees, also says it wants to try to avoid a strike. In a statement, the union shared: “We remain committed to doing what it takes to avoid a labor action that would disrupt transportation services for thousands of daily Orange County riders.”
