VTA and its unionized bus drivers and light rail operators appear deadlocked on contract negotiations. Workers plan to strike, potentially upending public transit in Santa Clara County.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 workers plan to walk off the job starting Monday on or after 12:01 a.m. The union has been negotiating with VTA on a new contract since last August, demanding wage increases and a conflict resolution process that would allow workers to present their grievances to a neutral third party and avoid going to court. But neither side can come to an agreement. The union represents 1,500 frontline VTA workers, including bus and light rail operators.
VTA officials are warning commuters bus and light rail services may be disrupted. Paratransit service is expected to operate as usual.
“VTA is extremely disappointed that ATU is leaving the communities of Silicon Valley stranded without much-needed bus and light rail service,” VTA Deputy General Manager Greg Richardson said in a statement.
ATU Local 265 President Raj Singh told San José Spotlight the transit agency still wants to decide which grievances get to go to arbitration, but the union is unwilling to budge on the issue.
Singh claims VTA refused to involve a neutral third party in more than a dozen cases in the past year, requiring the union to go through the court system. He said the union wants to add a line clarifying that if a grievance is filed and a resolution is not reached, the dispute has to go through an arbitration process.
“The agency is not understanding how unfair it is for them to dictate if a grievance or a dispute holds any merit. That’s one of our main sticking points,” Singh told San José Spotlight. “As far as wages goes, the offer that they presented is not fair and equitable.”
The union is looking for a larger wage increase to keep up with the region’s high cost of living. Singh said the union initially asked for 8% annual raises over three years, or 24% total, but lowered its ask to 6% over three years, or 18% total, during negotiations.
The transit agency offered a wage increase of 4%, 3% and 2% for a total 9% over three years, compounded over the three-year period at 9.3%. A news release from ATU Local 265 said 95% of union members voted down the deal.
The transit agency said the wage package keeps VTA operators as the second highest paid in the Bay Area and the fifth highest paid in the nation. The deal also includes comprehensive benefits and a pension plan.
A VTA spokesperson said the agency gave the union a “highly competitive offer.”
“We are continuing to negotiate in good faith, and we are confident we’ll be able to arrive at a fair and supportive agreement,” the spokesperson previously told San José Spotlight.
Hundreds of union members rallied at the Feb. 6 VTA board of directors meeting to raise issues about the contract negotiations. Board President and Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez said the transit agency is staying engaged with negotiations, but didn’t comment further.
“We are working to reach a fair agreement that rewards our employees and supports their work keeping Santa Clara County residents and visitors moving, and look forward to continued discussions,” Lopez told San José Spotlight.
VTA and the union have been holding regular meetings Tuesdays and Thursdays over the past six months, but Singh said VTA officials canceled the Feb. 27 meeting.
“We are still going to be pushing for a deal to be reached more immediately than later,” Singh previously told San José Spotlight.
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X. Contact Joyce Chu at [email protected] or @joyce_speaks on X.
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