UPDATE, Saturday, March 15: VTA today asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene and bring striking bs drivers back to work.
The governor has the authority to appoint a board to investigate the issues involved in the dispute and to make a written report within seven days.
VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot sent the request for the governor’s involvement this afternoon. VTA is awaiting a response.
VTA has also gone to court to seek a temporary restraining order to bring the strikers back to work, but the judge has yet to set a hearing on VTA’s request.
Since the strike began on Monday, March 10, VTA says it and the union have met twice for mediation, but those discussions have gone nowhere.
Tuesday, March 11: VTA has gone to court to ask a judge to order its striking employees to return to work, saying the union violated a no-strike provision in its contract.
The Amalgamated Transit Union says its three year contract with VTA expired on March 3. But VTA says the contract states that after the expiration date, the contract continues “from year to year thereafter.”
VTA is offering a pay raise of 9.3% over three years and a bonus of $1,500 while the union is seeking 19.1%.
MONDAY, March 10: The union representing bus drivers and other workers at VTA went on strike this morning.
Bus drivers make about $26 an hour, but the highest paid driver in 2023 was Freddie Ferrer, who pulled down $289,933 including overtime and the cost of benefits, according to the government salary website Transparent California.
Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 said it is striking because of stalled contract negotiations. VTA Paratransit service will continue regular operations.
Other demands
In addition to higher wages, the union also wants more benefits, different grievance procedures and better workplace conditions.
“VTA is extremely disappointed that ATU is leaving the communities of Silicon Valley stranded without much-needed bus and light rail service,” said Greg Richardson, VTA deputy general manager.
VTA offered the union a wage increase that amounts to a total 9.3% over three years, Richardson said in a statement.
VTA wants to talk
“While VTA has tried to reach an agreement … we need the union to return to the bargaining table,” Richardson said.
ATU represents 1,500 bus and light rail operators, maintenance workers, dispatchers, fare inspectors and customer service reps.
The VTA is a total waste. Don’t bother to negotiate a new contract, just shut it down and sell off the assets.
The strike didn’t exactly bring the county to a screeching halt. Frankly, nobody cares that those buses don’t run anymore. If you don’t have a car, you call Uber. You don’t waste time figuring out bus schedules and then waiting for a bus that will be late. How did we taxpayers ever get talked into allowing VTA?
A week has gone by and we’ve all figured out how to live our lives with VTA. That should tell you something about how unnecessary VTA is.
I bought a condo next to the light rail because I was convinced I would not need a car. Uber is too expensive. Get the light rail running again!! And get rid of the VTA CEO.