Oceanside CA— A potential work stoppage for North County Transit District (NCTD) BREEZE, LIFT and FLEX service has been temporarily averted. Early this morning, Union officials and First Transit, the company that provides contracted bus service to NCTD, reached a tentative agreement in their contract negotiations. It is expected that this agreement will be voted on by its members early next week.
First Transit announced they reached a tentative agreement with Teamsters Local 542 for a new three-year agreement.
A spokesperson for First Transit said “Local 542 will present the agreement to its members on Tuesday, April 26. We would like to recognize the assistance of the federal mediator, and the work of the bargaining committees for both sides in reaching a mutually beneficial agreement to continue service for NCTD customers. We value our drivers, and we recognize the excellent work they do in providing transportation to the community.”
On Wednesday, NCTD alerted customers to possible bus service disruptions if drivers were to walk off the job.
NCTD remains optimistic that the situation will continue to be resolved amicably between First Transit and their Union members, and that bus service will not be interrupted. Matthew Tucker, NCTD’s Executive Director, said “This tentative agreement is welcomed news for thousands of people across the region that depend on NCTD to get to work, school, and other destinations. We are happy that First Transit and the drivers’ Union representatives were able to work together and come to a tentative agreement. We are hopeful that ratification will be forthcoming next week.”
Passengers can find future updates for this ongoing situation at GoNCTD.com. Please refer all media inquiries to First Transit at 513-362-4600.