San Jose transit agency employees working without new deal

VTA and its unionized frontline workers have made little progress toward a new deal since a Santa Clara County judge stopped a historic strike one week ago.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 received three offers from the public transit agency’s negotiators over the weekend — all based on previous offers that union membership soundly rejected. The union, which represents 1,500 VTA employees including bus drivers and light rail operators, is struggling to push for a better deal after a judge ruled in favor of the agency March 26, stopping the union’s historic 17-day strike and bringing back limited service.

VTA spokesperson Stacey Hendler Ross said the agency is working to schedule negotiations meetings with ATU, but hasn’t heard back from the union.

“There’s still a focus on negotiations from our part, we just haven’t heard from ATU,” Hendler Ross told San José Spotlight.

Despite reassurance from VTA representatives that negotiations would continue, ATU Local 265 President Raj Singh said the public transit agency isn’t motivated to negotiate after the ruling, as evidenced by re-sending the same offers. He added the agency’s negotiators said these offers were from the board, indicating that the agency is unwilling to budge.

“There was never urgency on their side before. Now it’s just obvious,” Singh told San José Spotlight.

Singh said ATU Local 265 will appeal the decision and ask for a stay on last month’s court ruling, arguing the judge didn’t have the authority to intervene, as state laws carve out a specific path for public transit agencies seeking intervention in labor disputes. The union filed the appeal Tuesday in the 6th Appellate District, and VTA has until April 11 to file its response.

VTA has been working to restart bus and light rail service, with union employees ordered to return to work after the ruling. Full bus service has returned and two of three light rail lines are fully restored as of Wednesday. The Green line has taken the longest to repair due to copper thefts from the tracks, Hendler Ross previously said. It’s now operating with limited service, from Old Ironsides in Santa Clara to San Antonio in downtown San Jose.

Singh said disagreements between VTA board members are likely impacting negotiations. On social media, VTA Board Chair and Campbell Mayor Sergio Lopez said he wants to continue negotiations for a “fair contract with sustainable service for our riders.”

But in a recent op-ed, VTA Board Vice Chair and San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan argued the union’s demands for cost of living wage increases are too high and will destabilize the public transit agency’s budget. Singh said ATU Local 265 requested to meet with Mahan March 12 to discuss the negotiations, but was denied a meeting at the time because of the pending lawsuit.

Lopez said he wants to continue working with the union to decide on a fair contract, but the union stepped away from negotiations. He added if the union has concerns with the offers, they should bring it up during negotiations.

“While again there is a wide range of different personal opinions, I’m confident that every single board member, whether we agree or disagree, is coming at this in terms of what is going to be the best for the public interest (and) what’s going to be the best for the long term sustainability of our future,” Lopez told San José Spotlight.

He said while the board did approve the offers being presented, board members haven’t discussed ATU Local 265’s contract since the March 23 special meeting.

Singh said the union didn’t step away, as he’s been trying to get in contact with VTA leadership to better understand the agency’s position on negotiations. He said he wants a new contract as soon as possible.

“Obviously, I want something in place tomorrow because it should have been in place six months ago and it definitely should have been in place on March 3,” he said.

Singh said he plans to attend Thursday’s VTA board of directors meeting to ask for clarification on whether negotiations are continuing. The board is meeting in closed session Thursday to confer with labor negotiators, but ATU Local 265 isn’t listed.

He added the agency’s negotiators have referred to the current offers as “board approved,” so he also wants clarity on whether the union is negotiating with the board or the agency as an entity.

“It’s my position since that’s not part of the agenda and the last offer was rejected by the membership, that the board and agency jointly are indicating to us that the contract is now over,” Singh said.

Story updated April 2 at 4:09 p.m. Original story published April 2 at 1:32 p.m.

Contact B. Sakura Cannestra at sakura@sanjosespotlight.com or @SakuCannestra on X.