Oahu Transit Services, which operates TheBus and TheHandi-Van routes for the City & County of Honolulu, is urging its 130,000 daily riders of TheBus to consider alternative transportation plans after officials say they received inquiries about a possible strike by bus drivers.
According to OTS, the Hawaii Teamsters Local 996, which represents the employees, has denied it has plans for a strike and asserts that it is not obligated to give advance notice of a strike. OTS officials said in a news release Monday night that it has asked the union for at least one week’s advance notice of a strike, but the union has not agreed.
As a precaution, officials said, OTS is encouraging bus riders to plan alternative transportation plans, including carpooling with family, neighbors, friends and co-workers.
OTS and the union have been negotiating since mid-June and have been meeting regularly over the past four months, but have not reached an agreement, according to the news release.
The contract, which covers about 1,400 employees, includes TheBus drivers, mechanics, and office and administrative staff.
Kevin Holu, Local 996’s president, did not immediately respond for comment on the OTS news release, the status of contract negotiations or a possiblility of a bus drivers strike.
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In a statement, OTS President Robert Yu said the nonprofit organization started negotiating before the Local 996 contract expired on June 30, “so that our employees could have a new contract.”
“This would help to avoid any disruption of services to the community,” Yu said. “At the end of the day, we know we all have to work together and have been respectful and candid with our employees throughout this collective bargaining process.”
“We have been listening to feedback from the union and have made concessions wherever it is reasonable and realistic,” Yu added. “We hope we can reach an amicable agreement soon.”
Officials with Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration declined to comment on the news release or the status of negotiations between Local 996 and OTS.
“The city is not at the negotiating table, and we cannot comment on negotiations that we are not involved in,” the mayor’s spokesperson Ian Scheuring said. “The contract negotiations are happening directly between OTS and the Teamsters, and the city is not a party to those negotiations.”
The last strike involving TheBus was in 2003, OTS said.
