No talks set for this weekend

Advertiser Staff

Today marks the 19th day of the islandwide bus strike. No talks are scheduled through the weekend between O'ahu Transit Services, the company that operates TheBus, and the Hawai'i Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996, which represents more than 1,300 bus employees, according to officials from both sides.

Talks broke off Wednesday night. The company is offering a three-year contract with no raises or benefit increases the first and second years, with the possibility of a contract reopening to deal with those two issues in the third year. The union is seeking increases in both the second and third years of 50-cents-an-hour for wages and pension benefits.