[Photograph 2012.201.OVZ001.5726]

Photograph used for a story in the Daily Oklahoman newspaper. Caption: "(O-10-6-51 or O-12-30-51) Oklahoma City buses stood idle in the parking yards for 14 days after a breakdown in negotiations between the operating company and employes. Jitney were placed in service during the emergency to help ease the traffic tieup, but for the most part the public suffered. Drivers won a 5-cent raise in the agreement which finally ended the deadlock. (O-10-6-51 or O-12-30-51 article) City residents will scramble for rides Saturday as the twice-delayed bus strike goes into effect. Company and union officials broke off negotiations Friday after drivers and mechanics turned down a contract recommended by the union negotiation committee. All night schedules were ordered continued to normal stopping times early Saturday, but new schedules due out of the barns at 4:30 p.m. will not roll. It will be the fifth mass transportation stoppage in the city's history, and the second time in the last 18 months......The six union members of the contract committee and international represemtative Art Steele recommended acceptance of the last company offer. This would have given the drivers five-cent hourly wage raises on a short term contract to January 1. Other minor concessions were included......The union's contract originally was scheduled to expire August 30,. This was continued until September 30, and wylie Roberts, federal mediator, called into the parleys. Bus drivers currently are paid $1.26 per hour. Original union demands for 26-cent hourly pay boosts were scaled to 12-cents, and the expiration date set back to midnight Friday as the talks continued.