On the same day the Gold Coast Transit Board is scheduled to hold an emergency meeting, bus drivers are urging Transit officials to end the hostile work environment leading to worker health issues resulting in cancelled or delayed bus routes.
Gold Coast Transit workers, represented by SEIU Local 721, will stand with passengers and community organizations to urge Transit officials to implement a safer and more respectful public transportation system at a rally and press conference at 5 p.m. today at the Oxnard Transportation Center.
After nine months of negotiations, managers of Gold Coast served workers with a last, best and final offer. Workers are not seeking an increase in salary or assistance with health insurance. They are standing for safety and respect for passengers and drivers and an end to intimidation tactics launched on GCT workers.
“The intimidation tactics and 24/7 monitoring has taken an emotional and physical toll on bus drivers,” said Joe Ayala, a 17-year bus operator with Gold Coast Transit and an SEIU 721 bargaining team member. “The bus riders and community must know that the drivers want to continue to provide regular bus routes,” he said.
Workers are regularly subject to monitoring of bus drivers instead of providing a tool for passenger safety.
Workers will urge both sides to return to the bargaining table to reach a resolution that is the best for the community, the Gold Coast Transit System, and the bus operators who safely transport passengers on hundreds of bus routes daily.
Who: Gold Coast Transit workers and members of the community will urge Transit officials to return to the bargaining table and end intimidation tactics at a rally and press conference.
When: Thursday, August 11 from 5pm – 6pm
Where: Oxnard Transportation Center (OTC)
201 East Fourth Street, Oxnard, CA 93030
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