DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
OTS employees walked the picket line outside the Kalihi bus facility on Middle Street on Aug. 29. The city bus strike has entered its third week.
Bus strike talks
to resume today
Talks to try end the 16-day bus strike are set to resume today between Oahu Transit Services Inc. and Teamsters Local 996.
Both sides met Monday night and then broke off for a day while OTS considered the union's latest contract proposal and also sent over a counterproposal yesterday.
Union officials confirmed that they received the company's counterproposal by way of the federal mediator. OTS officials confirmed that today's meeting would be taking place.
"We sent over a counterproposal at 1:30 p.m.," said OTS chief negotiator Perry Confalone. "The mediator informed me at 5:45 (p.m.) that they'd like to get back together.
"We said we could either schedule a meeting or continue to talk through the federal mediator. ... Apparently, they feel that it would be beneficial to meet again, and that's a good thing," he said.
After Monday's talks ended, Local 996 President Mel Kahele requested that OTS President and General Manager James Cowen be present at the next negotiating session so both sides can "resolve this strike." Yesterday, Confalone said he brought up the issue with Cowen but was unsure whether Cowen would attend.
"He did not relate to me or the committee that he would be doing that, but certainly it's up to him if he wants to attend," Confalone said.
Talks are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at Neal Blaisdell Center conference rooms. The strike by 1,336 bus employees began Aug. 26 and entered its third week yesterday.
Also scheduled for today are two City Council committees that will decide on one of two proposals to raise bus fares to make up a $6.8 million shortfall in the bus system's budget. The fare increases are needed to avoid layoffs and cuts in service.
The first proposal calls for reducing cash fares -- adult fares would drop to $1 from $1.75 -- and an increase in monthly passes to $80 from $30. This plan raises senior fares fivefold to $60 a year.
The second proposal would increase single fares for adults to $2 and $1 for everyone else while keeping monthly passes to no more than $40. Senior passes would go up to $25 a year instead of every two years.
Both plans would do away with free transfers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report
