Last Updated on August 6, 2017 by CCAR Staff
Nineteen Foothill Transit lines — from Pomona across the East San Gabriel Valley — may be out of operation Monday if labor negotiations out of Foothill’s Pomona yard are not resolved by midnight.
The yard’s 50 mechanics, represented by Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1756, is set to strike at midnight if it cannot reach an agreement with Keolis Commuter Services, the contracted operator of the yard, said Local 1756 President Richard Conell. The yard’s bus drivers, represented by Teamsters Local 848, may opt not to cross the picket line, Conell said, leaving 19 lines without service.
Should the strike take effect, some of the remaining 19 lines, which operate out of Foothill Transit’s Arcadia yard, would be extended in order to help cover for the 19 missing lines, but none of the Arcadia buses would take over any of the Pomona lines, said Foothill Transit spokeswoman Felicia Friesma.
Keolis spokeswoman Leslie Aun said the transit company began negotiations in June, in advance of taking over operations at the Pomona yard on July 1, and has offered six contract proposals that have been met without counteroffers from ATU. However, Conell said the two sides are close except that Local 1756 wants the final proposed contract’s term to end in 2019 — before the state minimum wage increases to $15 per hour in 2020 — instead of the proposal’s 2021 finish date.
That final proposal would set hourly wages at $13 per hour through 2021, Conell said.
“We have agreed on everything in principle pretty much, but they’re trying to stron-garm us into taking a low-wage increase for two-to-three years,” Conell said.
Aun said Keolis has yet to receive a formal counterproposal from ATU and that it has been eager to resolve the dispute.
“The door’s open, the lines are open, and we’d love to work with the union to negotiate an agreement,” Aun said. “We’ve gotten no counterproposal at this point, but we’re hopeful we can continue operating.”
Representatives from Teamsters Local 848 did not respond to multiple requests for comment about whether or not it would honor ATU’s strike.
Friesma urged Foothill Transit riders to sign up for text message or email alerts on the agency’s website so they can receive immediate updates on potential delays or cancellation of service.
“Our primary concern is to make sure our customers are informed so they can make good transportation choices for themselves,” Friesma said.
Lines that would be affected by a strike
LOCAL LINES
• 195 Pomona via Reservoir and Philadelphia streets
• 197 Pomona to Claremont via Orange Grove Avenue, Fairplex and Arrow Highway
• 282 El Monte to Puente Hills Mall via Valley Boulevard and Gale Avenue
• 285 Puente Hills Mall to La Habra via Colima Road and Whittier Boulevard
• 286 Pomona to Brea via Diamond Bar Boulevard
• 289 Puente Hills Mall to Pomona via Nogales Street and La Puente Road
• 291 La Verne to Pomona via Garey Avenue
• 292 Claremont to Pomona via Towne Avenue
• 482 Pomona to Puente Hills Mall via Colima Road
• 486 Pomona to El Monte via Amar Road
• 488 Glendora to El Monte via Francisquito Avenue
• 492 Montclair to El Monte via Arrow Highway
COMMUTER ROUTES
• 495 Industry
• 497 Chino and Industry
• 499 San Dimas
• 699 Montclair
SCHOOL ROUTES
• 853 Diamond Ranch
• 854 Diamond Ranch
• 855 San Antonio Avenue and Indian Hill Boulevard
