A South Coast transit strike was averted at the last minute.
Santa Barbara MTD and Teamsters Local 186 have been in talks since May, but have been unable to reach a deal. A tentative agreement was reached last month, but workers rejected it. The contract was set to expire at midnight Thursday night.
Thursday afternoon, the MTD and the Teamsters announced they reached a new state-mediated contract proposal. They also agreed to a 45-day contract extension, allowing workers to vote on the latest proposal.
The strike could have occurred at midnight Thursday night without the last-minute deal.
