The contract between COTA and the union representing its drivers and mechanics is set to expire on Sunday, and a new deal has not been finalized.

The contract between COTA and the union representing its drivers and mechanics is set to expire on Sunday, and a new deal has not been finalized.

But Transport Workers Union of America Local 208 doesn�t expect negotiations to turn as sour as they did three years ago, when buses stopped rolling for three days during the workers� first strike in 25 years.

President Ron Dreyfus said union leaders will present an offer from COTA to members at a meeting on Sunday evening, with a vote possible next week. The existing agreement will remain in place until the union and Central Ohio Transit Authority trustees approve a deal.

COTA officials declined to comment this week, saying negotiations are ongoing. The two sides plan a joint announcement when an agreement is reached.

Dreyfus would not give details of COTA�s offer. He described the negotiations of the past several months as �professional� and �businesslike� and said he doesn�t foresee a work stoppage.

In 2012, workers rejected proposed deals and went on strike for three days � including the evening of Red, White & Boom, the busiest day of the year for COTA.

The strike ended a quarter-century of relative peace between COTA and its union. Work stoppages were more common in the agency�s early days: At least four strikes occurred between 1976 and 1986.

In 2012, the union approved a contract with mostly the same provisions as those it had rejected in earlier votes. It included pay raises of 2 percent in 2012, 2.5 percent in 2013 and 2.5 percent this year.

�We all have to work together,� Dreyfus said. �We have other issues we have to address in the future. It behooves us to work together.�

The union�s ranks will grow this year as COTA continues to expand service on the road. This month, trustees approved a 2015 budget of $115.7 million, which includes a plan to add 47 drivers and boost fixed-route service by 7 percent.

COTA officials have said they probably will ask the board to approve an amended 2015 budget once a union contract is finalized.

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