OmniRide will operate on a full schedule; tentative deal reached with bus drivers

Potomac and Rappahannock Transportation Commission OmniRide will operate on full, normal schedule Tuesday now that the OmniRide’s service provider and the bus drivers have reached a tentative deal to end a union work stoppage.

“First Transit and the union that represents its bus drivers at OmniRide reached an updated Tentative Agreement for the new collective bargaining agreement in the late afternoon of Monday, Aug. 5, 2019,” said Christine Rodrigo, a spokeswoman for OmniRide.

PRTC OmniRide has been operating on a modified service plan since the bus drivers stopped working Aug. 1.

The agreement between First Transit and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees will still need to be ratified by union members.

Staff from OmniRide will be at key commuter lots to help answer any questions riders have.

The bus system is operated by contractor First Transit, and the company has been negotiating with the drivers’ union since March. Though a tentative agreement was reached in June, the union membership rejected that offer.

On Tuesday, OmniRide officials learned the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees local had rejected an extension of the current contract beyond July to the end of September.

OmniRide serves the Prince William County and Manassas areas.

WTOP’s Max Smith contributed to this report.

Colleen Kelleher

Colleen Kelleher is an award-winning journalist who has been with WTOP since 1996. Kelleher joined WTOP as the afternoon radio writer and night and weekend editor and made the move to WTOP.com in 2001. Now she works early mornings as the site's Senior Digital Editor.

Abigail Constantino

Abigail Constantino started her journalism career writing for a local newspaper in Fairfax County, Virginia. She is a graduate of American University and The George Washington University.

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