Thousands of VTA riders have been stranded without public transportation for 10 days due to an ongoing union strike, and the agency’s board chair has been out of town.
Social media posts show Sergio Lopez, chair of the VTA board of directors and Campbell mayor, was in Yosemite over the weekend for a policymakers conference, as a historic strike halted the public transit agency’s bus and light rail services. Lopez said he’s been engaged in negotiations, but his absence has left riders feeling abandoned.
A LinkedIn post from Carl Guardino, government affairs vice president for Tarana Wireless, lists Lopez as an attendee at the 2025 CivicWell Policymakers Conference in Yosemite from March 14-17. A screenshot of an Instagram story also shows Lopez in Yosemite. Lopez acknowledged he was at the conference during that time and returned home March 16. Prior to the conference, Lopez said he was out of town for a family emergency, returning March 12. The first day of the strike was March 10.
Lopez said the conference was official city business and he was prepared to leave at any time.
“I’ve been closely engaged every single day leading up to and during the strike and since, in speaking with both sides and making sure that there are productive discussions and that negotiations continue,” Lopez told San José Spotlight.
Riders have looked to their elected officials for information on the strike, especially Lopez as board chair. Monica Mallon, a transit advocate and San José Spotlight columnist, said she’s been fielding consistent questions from riders seeking information about how long the strike might continue and what alternative transit options are available. She said the lack of public information from board members is “a huge disappointment.”
“These riders are stressed, they’re trying to get where they need to go. They’re finding me and they’re looking for help,” Mallon told San José Spotlight. “I think (Lopez) is trying to do something despite being out of town. It’s just how he’s communicating what he’s doing with riders and constituents.”
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, a union representing more than 1,500 frontline VTA workers, has been negotiating on two key topics with the agency — an increase in wages and a conflict resolution process that would allow workers to present their grievances to a neutral third party and avoid going to court through arbitration.
VTA spokesperson Stacey Hendler Ross said Thursday both parties have been able to reach a compromise on the clause regarding arbitration and have moved on to discussing wages. The VTA board will have to approve a final contract and she said Lopez has been consistently engaged in discussions.
However, Hendler Ross clarified Lopez is not a negotiator for the public transit agency. She said he’s been kept up to date and being remote hasn’t affected the discussions.
“He is heavily involved in this issue to the extent he can be,” Hendler Ross told San José Spotlight. “There’s nothing for the board to approve or consider.”
ATU Local 265 President Raj Singh did not respond to requests for comment.
Mallon relies on VTA buses and has been walking miles every day to get to work, the grocery store and other essential destinations. She said Lopez and other board members haven’t posted anything on social media or their own platforms, so it’s not easy for riders to get information from their elected officials.
Lopez said he has been communicating with riders, but there is nothing on his social media accounts.
“I’m accessible, whether it’s stakeholders, elected officials, just members of the public. This morning, I was calling local residents who’ve been impacted, so I feel and understand the impact this has on the community,” Lopez told San José Spotlight. “I will be available to anyone and everyone.”
Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at [email protected] or @SakuCannestra on X.
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