About a third of SamTrans bus drivers called in sick on Thursday, the transit agency said, in what is believed to be a labor action related to contract negotiations.
The absences prompted SamTrans to adjust the timetable and give priority to routes to school in the morning.
People are asked to find alternative transportation for Thursday and Friday.
Routes 292 and 122 are not affected because contractors are operating those routes. Redi-Wheels and RediCoast paratransit services were also not disrupted, SamTrans officials said.
“We understand that many of our riders do not have alternative transportation options, which is why we are taking today’s outage very seriously,” said SamTrans General Manager April Chan. “We appreciate the community’s patience and support as we work to minimize the impact of this unexpected shortage of riders.”
Agency officials said in a news release Thursday that they had anticipated and prepared for a sick leave that did not occur in late August, two weeks after Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1574 rejected a proposed three-year contract that union leadership supported, the agency said.
According to SamTrans, the offer included an 18.3 percent wage increase over three years for bus drivers, a 21.9 percent increase for mechanics, utility workers and shopkeepers, and an 11.4 percent increase for customer service representatives.
ATU Local 1574 represents nearly 400 SamTrans workers, including bus drivers, utility workers, grocery store workers, customer service representatives and receptionists.
Union officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.
