Teamsters pause Orange County strike as contract talks advance

Teamsters Local 952 has paused its strike against Orange County, with more than 400 county employees expected to return to work as contract talks improve, according to Voice of OC. No agreement had been reached when the union announced the pause Tuesday evening.

The pause could ease a labor dispute that county leaders said had slowed landfill processing. But the union said it was ready to resume the strike immediately if the county failed to make an offer it considered fair.

According to Voice of OC, the union announced the pause in an unsigned statement posted to its Facebook page. It said mediation discussions with the county had brought the sides closer to an agreement and described the pause as a good-faith step.

County supervisors were expected to meet in a special session Friday to discuss a new deal. The union said it hoped the meeting would produce an offer members could support.

Members previously turned down a one-year contract that included a 3% raise, Voice of OC reported. The county had offered the same terms to its other unions.

The strike began the previous Tuesday. Union leaders accused the county of failing to bargain in good faith and said county negotiators lacked authority to finalize deals. County leaders, meanwhile, accused strikers of improperly blocking streets and delaying processing at county landfills.

For now, the return to work does not settle the contract dispute. The union said its next step would depend on whether the county returned with a fair offer recognizing members’ work.