Teamsters working for MTD avert strike, just for one day
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Running for the bus may be put on hold if teamsters go on strike.
The union agreed to a one-day contract extension on Monday. If no agreement is reached by Tuesday night, members of Teamsters Local 186 plan to begin picketing outside the Santa Barbara Transit Center.
“MTD has been surface bargaining for the past two months. We’re in mediation, but little progress was made today,” said Teamsters Local 186 Secretary-Treasurer Abel Garcia. “The Teamsters extended the contract by 24 hours in a good-faith effort. The contract will expire at midnight on July 1.”
Garcia said it’s time for MTD to stop pushing for concessions.
“If employees at MTD go on strike, it’s because management put them on strike by proposing minimal raises, pennies into the pension, higher out-of-pocket healthcare costs, and takeaway after takeaway,” he said. “That includes taking away time-and-a-half pay for working on scheduled days off. Seventy percent of employees can’t afford to live in Santa Barbara, so they commute. That extra pay helps cover gas to get to work.”
Union representatives negotiated the extension with MTD and a state-appointed mediator around dinnertime on Monday. Talks are scheduled to resume Tuesday morning.
An MTD spokesperson declined an on-camera interview but noted that the starting wage for bus operators is $26.83 an hour—more than $55,000 annually for full-time employees.
Some riders expressed support for the drivers.
“I work downtown and make about $24 an hour part-time. That’s already tight. I can’t imagine trying to make it work on a bus driver’s salary,” said rider Akase Enun.
Ajani Tyehimba added, “I would still support a strike, even if it means I can’t take the bus for a day.”
Before the extension was finalized, Garcia posted on social media, saying the union had been bargaining in good faith “with nothing to show for it.” He said a potential work stoppage would affect 160 employees and bus routes throughout Santa Barbara, Goleta, and Carpinteria.
“You’ve been playing games,” Garcia said of MTD. “Now in the 12th hour, you want to bargain in good faith and ask for an extension?”
Riders are worried about the potential impact.
“It really helps when you need to get from point A to point B, and it would kind of suck if they went on strike,” said rider Chase Carson.
Both sides hope to reach a compromise before the July Fourth holiday.
MTD has warned that the agency is facing a “financial cliff” due to expiring COVID relief funding. It’s unclear whether the Teamsters union is accepting that explanation.
Meanwhile, students visiting from Switzerland say they rely on the bus system to explore the city over the summer.
“Santa Barbara is almost as big as Switzerland, and it’s hard without the bus,” said Fionn Zuend.
Ramon Knechtle added, “I like giving the ticket to the driver at the front. I think the buses are pretty clean inside.”
Governor Gavin Newsom is aware of the situation and has sent a letter requesting intervention to avoid a strike.
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