HI: Anxious Honolulu bus riders await contract resolution

After months of stalled negotiations and warnings of a possible strike, the approximately 130, 000 daily riders of Honolulu’s TheBus have been left in limbo, hoping for a resolution to the contract stand-off.

Oahu Transit Services, which runs TheBus and TheHandi-Van, late last month issued its “last, best and final offer ” to the Hawaii Teamsters and Allied Workers Local 996, proposing a 16 % wage increase over four years, full employer-paid medical coverage for employees and retirees and their families, plus full pension contributions.

Union leaders urged members to reject the offer, saying the gains came only after months of pressure and still leave key issues unresolved.

In a message to members, Local 996 said the agreement “refuses to make sufficient movement on critical issues, such as wages, pension contributions, and day off canceled language.” The union also criticized OTS for rejecting requests for hazard pay.

As of this weekend, bus service remains unchanged.

“We completed our employee meetings last week to answer any questions they had about our last, best and final offer that was put across the table to the union on Oct. 31, 2025, ” OTS Deputy General Manager Jenny Lemaota told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser Wednesday. “We hope our employees will vote in favor of ratifying the contract when the union presents it to them.”

In the past weeks, OTS has twice warned bus riders to make “alternative transportation plans, including carpooling with family, neighbors, friends and co-workers, ” in case of a strike, but City & County of Honolulu officials have declined to say whether they have their own contingency plan if contract talks fail, leaving some riders anxious.

Honolulu’s last bus strike was in 2003, when over 1, 300 bus workers walked off the job at 12 : 01 a.m. Aug. 26, one day after most schools began classes. The strike lasted 34 days, halting service islandwide. To cope, the city leased more than 100 school buses and vans and organized a $3 flat-fare jitney service using taxi companies along major corridors.

Union leaders at the time said they were striking after OTS refused to ask the city for additional funding that could have prevented proposed cutbacks.

For riders like Kolby Aquino, 42, who commutes daily from Waipahu to Waikiki for work in the restaurant industry, the memories of the previous strike remain vivid.

“Back in 2003, when I was living in Punchbowl, I remember standing at the bus stop not knowing if anything was coming, ” he said. “I had to ask for rides from family or friends just to make my shifts in my early 20s. I really don’t want to go through that again. I live much farther, and everything costs more.”

Aquino said a strike now would leave him without options.

“People think we can just figure it out if service gets disrupted, but there’s no magic solution, ” he said. “When you rely on public transport, you’re tied to whatever happens at that bargaining table.”

Aquino’s concerned about how quickly service disruptions can affect his employment. Even minor delays or route changes can make him late, costing him pay, and a full strike could put his job at risk.

He said he checks Uber prices when buses run late but the fares are rarely feasible.

“I’ve checked the app during delays—it’s always $50, $60, $70, ” he said. “That’s groceries, that’s rent. I can’t spend that just to get to work.”

He added that the uncertainty is what gnaws at him most.

“I’m trying not to panic, and I completely understand the complication of the situation, but it’s tough. There’s no safety net for bus riders. One announcement and suddenly thousands of us are stranded. You’d think there’d be a better plan after all these years.”

Hotels and businesses in Waikiki rely heavily on TheBus to bring workers into the district.

“There are literally hundreds of team members arriving on the buses between 7 and 7 :45 every morning, ” said Jerry Gibson, president of the Hawai ‘i Hotel Alliance. “A lot of people come in from each side of the island, from Hawaii Kai, from the West side. They definitely use the buses.”

Gibson said if the strike happens, many employees would struggle to find affordable alternatives.

“People are going to have to look at providing for their own needs with cars, and that will create traffic, ” he said. “Carpooling is going to be very, very important.”

He remembers the 2003 strike clearly.

“It was a very difficult situation, ” he said. “There were some people who just weren’t able to get to work. Hopefully this time agreements can be made fairly quickly.”

He added that Waikiki’s limited and expensive parking could compound the disruption.

“There’s a shortage of parking garages open to the public that are reasonable. The parking that’s open is fairly expensive, ” he said. “Some people might have to take the Uber, but for a lot of people, that’s difficult for their pocketbooks.”

For William Duke, who commutes from Kuliouou Valley in East Honolulu to downtown, the transit worker contract negotiations have him cautiously watching developments but not panicking yet—though he worries for others who are more vulnerable.

Duke rides TheBus twice a day, usually catching the 80 or 82 express bus around 5 a.m. and returning home in the evening on the 1L bus with limited stops. He started taking TheBus a few months ago and said it quickly became integral to his work routine.

He said he depends on city buses to get to work, noting that a strike would seriously disrupt his routine. He also stressed their vital role for seniors and other vulnerable community members.

“Many of our kupuna and disabled community members also depend on the bus to get to doctor’s appointments, work and other essential places, ” he said.

The city Department of Transportation Services reported in 2024 that there are about 7.5 million senior bus rides per year.

Duke said he is hopeful the two sides can reach a resolution that pays drivers fairly while keeping the system running.

“Oahu’s bus drivers earn significantly less than a lot of drivers in mainland cities with similar high costs of living, ” he said. “It’s a tough job, and they’re responsible for the safety of hundreds of people every day. I just hope they can find a balance that supports the workers while keeping the transit system sustainable.”

Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawai ‘i Lodging & Tourism Association and former Honolulu mayor, said the visitor industry is monitoring the situation closely.

“We are still hopeful that there will be a positive outcome and a strike will be averted, ” he said. “We have not put together a contingency plan across the board, other than the fact that we’re tracking it very closely.”

Hannemann explained that hospitality operations run 24 /7, and reduced staffing could affect front desk coverage, housekeeping, food and beverage and guest services. In addition to workers and residents, a significant number of tourists also depend on TheBus for transportation.

“A lot of visitors use the bus to get around the city. The bus drivers do very well ; they’re like ambassadors of aloha, ” he said, often acting as informal tour guides and helping newcomers with transfers.

He pointed to Honolulu’s Skyline rail system as an option for some commuters, though it goes only as far as Middle Street in Kalihi.

“You still need the bus to get to Waikiki or Ala Moana, ” Hannemann said.

The former mayor said he is optimistic the labor dispute will be resolved before any major disruptions in public transportation.

“I’m hoping a strike will be averted, ” Hanneman said. “Both sides have excellent arguments, and that’s what these negotiations are all about.”

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