Drivers at Prince William, Stafford bus operator OmniRide on strike

Commuter and local busses in Prince William County and commuter buses in Stafford County stopped rolling today when drivers went on strike.

OmniRide passengers were left without a lift to work and play, prompting the agency to cancel multiple routes.

The strike comes after OmniRide approved a more than 17% increase for union workers in its upcoming nearly $60 million budget, which is about 10% higher than the year before.

OmniRide says the drivers who do come to work will have police protection and will be paid.

The transit agency says it’s confused by the union’s move to strike given the increased allotment for the contractor, Kelolis, which operates in 13 counties with nearly 70,000 employees.

More in a press release:

On February 13, some operators of OmniRide buses organized a work stoppage.

Once it was determined that there were insufficient bus operators to run the full complement of OmniRide routes and services for the morning, OmniRide communicated to passengers that there would be no commuter buses to Northern Virginia and Washington D.C., and there would be limited service levels for local bus routes.

Services were and will continue to be prioritized for local routes, and commuter routes will be reinstated as more operators report for work.

OmniRide is the operating name for the Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission (PRTC). OmniRide’s bus operators are employed by PRTC’s operations contractor Keolis. The work stoppage has confused PRTC and Keolis management because the PRTC preliminary budget for FY2024 was authorized for transmission to jurisdictions this past Thursday. That preliminary budget includes additional monies for Keolis to put on the bargaining table with the operators’ union. Because Keolis now has a revised budget number, it intends to meet with the union on Tuesday, February 14, with an enhanced offer. All driver wages/benefits come directly from the state and localities, or more specifically the taxpayers. One hundred percent of any additional funds for wages are being provided through subsidies from the General Assembly or locality budgets. PRTC is only a conduit.

“We are disappointed by the local union’s decision to walk away from the table and disrupt our passengers,” said PRTC Board Chair and Prince William County Supervisor Victor Angry. “We encourage Keolis and the union to meet and resolve these issues.  Until then we will work to operate as much service as possible. We genuinely appreciate our front-line workforce and value their connection to the community.”

As noted, because bus operators are hired by Keolis, OmniRide is not a party to the negotiations. OmniRide’s focus is to encourage the two parties to maintain active and productive negotiations. All media inquires should be made to Keolis.

PRTC and Keolis have enhanced security details and have support from Prince William County Police to ensure the safety and security of all PRTC and Keolis staff reporting for work. Keolis has assured PRTC that, regardless of service levels, every employee who reports to work gets paid.