How to resolve AdBlock issue? LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – It's been two weeks since Lake Transit workers went out on an indefinite strike, and so far the workers' union and the employer are showing no signs of coming to an agreement that might end the walkout.
Teamsters Local 665, which represents nearly three dozen Lake Transit Authority employees, announced the strike at the end of July, as Lake County News has reported.
The union and Paratransit Services, the Washington-based nonprofit that for six years has held the operating contract for Lake Transit, have deadlocked in negotiations for a new three-year contract.
Paratransit Services offered the workers a 2.2-percent wage increase, which the union's membership rejected before going out on strike.
Ralph Miranda, president of Teamsters Local 665, said the real hangup is the union's desire to have step increases – common in transit contracts elsewhere – restored for Lake Transit workers.
“They are not receptive to putting the steps back into the contract,” Miranda said of Paratransit Services.
Since the strike was called, negotiations have broken down. Before the strike there already was a scheduled meeting on Sept. 5 to discuss health care issues, but no new bargaining sessions have been scheduled, according to Miranda and Christie Scheffer, Paratransit Services' chief operating officer and executive vice president.
Miranda, in a letter to Paratransit Services announcing the strike late last month, informed the nonprofit that the union remained prepared to resume negotiations at any point.
Scheffer, however, told Lake County News that Paratransit Services has not been asked by the Teamsters or the federal mediator was become involved in negotiations to resume talks. She said Paratransit Services representatives spoke to the federal mediator several times last week.
Also last week, Lake Transit Authority announced that it was rolling out a plan Paratransit Services developed for restoring the transit services that have been curtailed since the strike began.
Some additional bus routes will be restored beginning this Friday, with additional services to resume later this month and all services expected to be available again after the beginning of September.
In order to fulfill the plan, Paratransit Services is moving forward with hiring permanent replacements and training them, Scheffer said.
“We are absolutely on track for service restoration. Training is going very well,” said Scheffer.
Miranda, however, calls the plans to restore service before the strike is over “impossible.”
He alleged that the newly hired drivers are not receiving proper training and that some of the new hires, as well as current workers, are quitting.
Miranda alleged that Paratransit Services is not seeking out the best individuals. “The focus is in filling a seat with a body.”
He said the union has filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board accusing Paratransit Services of violating the law by forcing new hires to resign from the union before they can go to work.
He said Paratransit Services' tactics have the appearance of union busting.
Scheffer, in turn, alleged that the union has used loud music, bullhorns, sirens and other tactics to harass drivers and the public. She said a semi truck with large speakers was being used for that purpose last week.
Miranda acknowledged that the semi was being used by the union during its strike and that when law enforcement was called they agreed to turn down the sound.
California Highway Patrol Officer Kory Reynolds said CHP officers have been called out several times regarding reports of traffic problems, specifically striking workers walking in the roadway. However he said they've not found anyone to be in violation.
The CHP also has fielded numerous calls and investigated allegations that Lake Transit has put in place unqualified drivers, Reynolds said.
“No complaints have been validated,” he said. “It's all unfounded.”
The union hosted two community meetings, one on Monday evening and one on Tuesday evening – in Lucerne and Lakeport, respectively – in an effort to speak with the community about the strike. Miranda said they had less than half a dozen community members attending each of the events.
“There is definitely community interest in getting the dispute resolved. That seems to be the key question, how are we going to fix things, how are we going to get our transit system back on track?” said Miranda
He said union members are planning to be out in force at the Wednesday morning Lake Transit Authority Board meeting, which will be held beginning at 9 a.m. at the council chambers at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
Miranda has asked the board to consider restoring transit services with “qualified, experienced, certified, competent employees.”
He said the union is concerned that the Lake Transit Board is not informed, accusing them of making no efforts to call on the union and discuss the strike with them.
“We'll check our assumptions tomorrow,” Miranda said Tuesday evening.
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