SCHOOL BUS FIRM, DRIVERS TO TALK RIDE SCRAMBLE CONTINUES.

Byline: Mariel Garza and Sonia Giordani Staff Writers

A strike by contract bus drivers in the Los Angeles Unified School District entered its second day Wednesday but with less impact on students, and officials held out hope for a speedy resolution.

Teamsters and Laidlaw Transit Inc. officials plan to meet today to try to resolve the dispute over wages.

Until then, the district's 75,000 students who rely on bus service will continue to be affected by the Teamsters Local 572 strike against Laidlaw, the largest of five private bus companies under contract with the LAUSD.

With a combination of reserve buses and relief drivers, about 80 percent of students who typically catch buses were picked up by 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and taken to school, LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer said. Athletic events and field trips were postponed for a second day.

The two sides reached an impasse in February. They plan to meet at 9 a.m. today at the Glendale office of the Federal Mediation Conciliation Service, 225 West Broadway.

If a settlement is reached today, drivers could be back at work on Friday, said Jim Ferraro, western regional manager for Laidlaw, based in Burlington, Ontario.

Teamsters spokesman Don Owens said union negotiators were optimistic that Laidlaw would come up with a better offer than its previous one for a 1.8 percent raise each year for three years. The Teamsters drivers, who are paid about two-thirds what LAUSD drivers directly employed by the LAUSD receive, are looking for a raise of 15 percent over three years and better benefits.

``Our members are prepared to hang in there for the long term,'' Owens said. ``This is their future.''

On Wednesday, district officials called on about 100 of their own transportation supervisors and 25 Laidlaw supervisors to drive as they scrambled to cover the routes of about 700 drivers on strike. Other bus drivers doubled up, covering 582 routes in addition to their own.

``We're doing everything we can,'' district spokeswoman Cricket Bauer said. ``We want Laidlaw and the drivers to work it out in a manner that is satisfactory for both parties and in a timely manner. Until that time, we will transport children.''

The district has about 245 buses not in regular use that it can press into service for the duration of the strike, Bauer said. Neighboring school districts are being canvassed for spare drivers during the strike.

Despite the snarled bus commutes, the transportation delays were slightly briefer Wednesday, school officials said.

``We had an even greater (bus driver) shortage today than yesterday, but we were able to cope with the problem,'' Romer said Wednesday.

Some Laidlaw drivers did not receive the strike message before they reported for work Tuesday morning, but by Wednesday about the only Laidlaw school buses operating in Los Angeles were those driven by the company's supervisors.

LAUSD pays roughly $35 million a year - or $200,000 per school day - to Laidlaw to transport about 18,000 of its students. Romer said the district does not have to pay Laidlaw for services not provided ion strike days, but will face some other bills, including overtime costs for its own workers' extra hours.

Laidlaw has about 10 different contracts with LAUSD for different-size vehicles and different route times, Ferraro said.

Whatever the strike settlement, the company will not pass along its higher costs under current contracts with the LAUSD.

``Our contracts don't allow for this,'' Ferraro said.

Instead, company officials would have to adjust their bids for the next round of contracts to reflect their higher costs.