Great news. The money losing union run government transit system might go on strike. How much money will the taxpayers save for the union run, taxpayer funded boondoggle will save if the unions go on strike? This is a strike I support, the longer the better.
“The contract between a Silicon Valley public transit agency and its frontline employees ends Monday — and negotiations have stalled.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 has been negotiating with VTA for a new contract since last August. The union represents 1,500 frontline VTA workers, including bus and light rail operators. So far, there’s no deal on the table, and the union is preparing to take action, with 96% of members ready to strike.
Will the system replace the workers who refuse to show up for their jobs? That would be a start. Another would be to outlaw the unions from endorsing or giving money to politicians that have a say in the running of the system.
Silicon Valley transit workers could strike as contract ends
by B. Sakura Cannestra, San Jose Spotlight, 3/3/25 https://sanjosespotlight.com/silicon-valley-transit-workers-could-strike-as-vta-contract-ends/
The contract between a Silicon Valley public transit agency and its frontline employees ends Monday — and negotiations have stalled.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 has been negotiating with VTA for a new contract since last August. The union represents 1,500 frontline VTA workers, including bus and light rail operators. So far, there’s no deal on the table, and the union is preparing to take action, with 96% of members ready to strike.
“The negotiations have been very poor,” ATU Local 265 President Raj Singh told San José Spotlight.
Singh said while no strike is planned for Tuesday, the union has been making preparations in case a deal is not reached before the contract’s end, including receiving strike approval from the South Bay Labor Council.
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%, during negotiations.
The transit agency’s most recent offer in February was 3% annual increases over three years, or 9% total. A news release from ATU Local 265 said 95% of union members voted down the deal.
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 told San José Spotlight.
Singh said VTA’s first offer included a 1% annual raise over the next three years, which management didn’t budge on for almost six months. He added the agency refused to negotiate some of the union’s other demands, such as requiring the conflict resolution process to avoid the courts. 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.
Singh claims VTA refused to involve an arbiter in more than a dozen cases in the past year, requiring the union to go through the court system. While the union tried to introduce a line clarifying the arbitration process, he said VTA’s bargaining team declined to discuss the issue.
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 and he isn’t sure if the meetings will continue.
“We are still going to be pushing for a deal to be reached more immediately than later,” Singh told San José Spotlight. “There isn’t a strike planned for the 4th but the members, they’re frustrated.”
