- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Lake Transit employees to vote on indefinite strike; service reductions expected
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Less than a month after they went out on a two-day strike, Lake Transit employees are set to vote on whether they will walk out indefinitely on Monday, only returning to work after a new contract is reached.
On Saturday, Paratransit Services – the Washington state-based nonprofit that operates Lake Transit Authority – reported that reduced bus services may be in effect beginning on Monday.
That's in response to Teamsters Local 665, which represents the Lake Transit workers, reporting that employees are considering an indefinite walkout.
It's the latest in an ongoing contract negotiation that, despite involving federal mediators, appears to be stalling.
Teamsters Local 665 representative Ralph Miranda said the union will meet with its membership at 11 a.m. Sunday in Lower Lake regarding the strike proposal. “That's when the determination will be made.”
He said the union is recommending that the strike begin at midnight Sunday.
Miranda said 35 of the Paratransit employees who work for Lake Transit – drivers, dispatchers, maintenance and other job categories – are represented by the union.
Paratransit Services has indicated it will hire replacement workers to keep Lake Transit buses rolling, but there will be service reductions.
Routes from Lakeport to Clearlake, Kelseyville to Middletown, Clearlake to Deer Park, Soda Bay Road at Kit's Corner to Lakeport, Lakeport to Ukiah and an intercity Lakeport route all will be canceled while the strike is under way, according to Paratransit Services.
Remaining routes, including Dial-a-Ride in both Clearlake and Lakeport, will run on more limited hours than normal, Paratransit Services said.
Lake Transit's ridership has shown steady increases in recent years as county residents, struggling with the economy, have sought affordable alternatives to higher gas prices.
As such, the extended strike could have a significant impact on those community members who have come to rely on Lake Transit's services.
“Paratransit Services has presented a very reasonable proposal that seeks to sustain transit service for the community, while also sustaining current staffing levels and working conditions during an economic period that has transit providers across the State cutting wages, services and staffing,” Randy Grove, director of Operations and Human Resources, said in a statement released on Saturday to Lake County News.
Grove also said the union is demanding wage rate increases and changes to benefits that could cost the Lake Transit system almost $500,000 in increased operations costs.
However, Miranda said the issues – including a requested wage increase – haven't changed since employees conducted a strike July 1-2.
Responding to the Paratransit Services claim that workers are asking for a wage increase of $500,000 – or 67 percent – over three years, Miranda said, “There's just no truth to that whatsoever.”
Instead, he said the union is seeking a wage increase that would total $95,000 over three years, which includes step increases for all employees – not just the drivers, who get them after reaching 10 years of service.
The two sides also are dealing with what Miranda called “a misinterpretation” of the cost of living index used for determining worker wage increases.
He said Paratransit is using a 2.2-percent COLA for transportation, while the union is using a 2.4-percent index for clerical employees and urban wage earners.
Miranda said the union has withdrawn other proposals that relate to vacation and sick leave.
Grove said Paratransit Services proposed a 2.2-percent wage rate increase following a 2.6-percent wage increase provided last year.
He said the proposal represents a cumulative 23.1 percent in wage rate increases over the six-year period of Paratransit Services’ administration of transit services for Lake Transit Authority.
The two sides met on July 17 with a federal mediator to try to a reach an agreement on a new three-year contract.
According to Grove, both parties had agreed to pick up negotiations again in September to work out the details of an employee health care plan, “given the evolving changes with Obamacare.”
However, Miranda said that, from the union perspective, the meeting only produced an extension request for an additional year from Paratransit Services. “To extend it another year puts membership at a greater disadvantage.”
Miranda believes the local union membership will do as the negotiating committee recommends.
“We'll probably walk out on strike on Monday,” he said, adding that the strike will be indefinite until a settlement is reached.
Grove said that if a strike takes place, the following services will operate Monday through Friday:
- Clearlake / Lakeport Dial-a-Ride will operate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
- Routes 5 and 6, Clearlake intercity routes, will run from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.;
- Route 4 Westbound will operate at 7:05 a.m. and 1 p.m.;
- Route 1 Eastbound from Lakeport to Clearlake will operate at 8:31 a.m. and 2:21 p.m. only;
- All other services would be canceled until further notice.
Grove said it's Lake Transit's intent to resume regular services as soon as possible, with bulletins notifying riders of changes to be released through the media and at www.laketransit.org .
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