- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Three union members to return to work at Lake Transit; congressman urges sides to continue talks
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A small number of Teamsters members who had taken part in a Lake Transit strike earlier this month are being allowed to return to work, and one of Lake County's congressmen has urged the two sides in the strike to return to the bargaining table.
Teamsters Local 665 members went out on an indefinite strike on July 29, citing a breakdown in negotiations with Lake Transit's operator, Paratransit Services, as Lake County News has reported.
The 28 striking workers voted on Aug. 15 to return to work unconditionally in an effort to restore transit services.
Paratransit Services, which said it had hired a number of permanent replacement workers during the strike, has recalled two drivers and a dispatcher from among the Teamsters members, said Christie Scheffer, Paratransit Services' executive vice president and chief operating officer.
The remaining 25 employees who returned from the strike have been placed on a preferential recall list, and will be brought back as openings occur based on seniority, Scheffer said.
Paratransit Services and Teamsters Local 665 continued to trade allegations on Wednesday.
Scheffer said the union was responsible for harassing drivers and creating safety hazards, and suggested the Teamsters may be violating the Homeland Security Act.
There have been at least three such incidents this week resulting in significant safety concerns, Scheffer said. Other incidents happened earlier this month and last month.
She said Paratransit Services representatives met with the California Highway Patrol, Lakeport Police Department and Lake County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday to coordinate response to future safety issues.
The union responded by calling the allegations “ridiculous.”
The Teamsters also continued to criticize Paratransit Services for failing to restore services completely. Lake Transit said that services won't be fully restored until Sept. 3.
The union maintains the new drivers Paratransit Services hired during the strike can't be properly trained in such a short period of time, and said that Paratransit Services has failed to bring back all the striking workers because they would have been allowed to work under terms in place prior to the strike.
Since the strike ended, Paratransit Services has brought new proposals, including a demand to forgo seniority as it pertains to shift bids and assignments, and attempted to make all near-term discussions “a one-way street,” the union said.
On Wednesday, Congressman Mike Thompson sent Teamsters Local 665 President Ralph Miranda and Paratransit Services a letter urging the two sides to return to negotiations as soon as possible, noting the service stoppage is having a “devastating effect” on riders.
“The riders should not be held hostage while management and the drivers attempt to reach an agreement,” wrote Thompson. “Therefore I strongly urge Paratransit Services Inc. to accept the union's offer for drivers to return work while negotiations continue.”
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