OCEANSIDE: Transit district may outsource bus service

OCEANSIDE —- In the face of looming deficits, the North County Transit District is looking into outsourcing bus service —- a move that could reduce costs but force many employees to reapply for jobs likely to come with watered-down compensation.

“There are no secrets behind how the outsourcing option saves money —- it ends up being reduced wages and benefits for employees,” the district’s executive director, Matthew Tucker, said Wednesday.

The agency’s board of directors will decide Thursday whether to issue a request for proposals from private operators. How many workers might be affected by the change would depend on the terms of a contract with an outside company.

The transit agency has roughly 520 employees and about 370 of them —- including bus drivers, mechanics and maintenance workers —- are represented by Teamsters Local 542. A union representative couldn’t be reached for comment Wednesday.

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