Santa Clara VTA files complaint as transit workers' strike rolls into 2nd day
The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has filed a legal complaint over the ongoing VTA workers' strike as the labor action entered its second day in the South Bay.
The transit agency issued a press release Tuesday announcing that the complaint had been filed in Santa Clara County Superior Court against Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265 for breach of the "no strike" clause in the parties' agreement. The release claimed that the legal move was made "with the goal of bringing the strike to an end as fast as possible and to allow for the restoration of VTA bus and light rail services."
"This strike is having an overwhelming impact on the community, and we are working on all efforts to support our riders getting to work, school, medical appointments, and events. VTA is an integral part of the transportation network for Santa Clara County and the region overall. Getting our buses and trains rolling is imperative," VTA General Manager/CEO Carolyn Gonot was quoted as saying in the release.
CBS News Bay Area reached out to ATU Local 265 for comment and received the following statement from union president Raj Singh.
"I know the agency for the last couple weeks have spread the narrative the union is the one that has been walking away from negotiations, but that is not true. The agency (VTA) is saying they are interested in coming to a compromise, but they have decided to sue us," Singh said. "That's for the attorneys to deal with but our understanding is the contract is expired and since the contract is expired the union has legal and protected right to strike. And we are exercising that right."
"The agency has zero compassion for the employees, the community and the public. If they were trying to get this issue resolved they would be at the negotiating table, not attempting to sue us and get us into court," he added.
The VTA workers' strike has some 1,500 workers on the picket lines demanding increased wages and improved benefits from the transit agency.
The labor action has put the brakes on light rail and bus service throughout the South Bay. The VTA workers' contract expired a week ago. VTA workers announced last Friday that the union would go on strike Monday morning.
VTA said in a statement that both sides had met on Sunday but there were "no meaningful negotiations." The agency said it is offering a wage increase of 4%, 3% and 2% over three years, for a total compounded increase of 9.3%.
"We understand the hardship this service disruption causes, and we are pursuing as many avenues as possible to mitigate the impact to the riding public as quickly as we can," the agency said in a statement Sunday, hours before the strike.
ATU Local 265 said in its own statement on Sunday that the strike follows negotiations it described as "frustrating and unproductive." About 96% of workers authorized a strike in a vote last month.
The union says the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's latest offer is not enough.
"We have been forced into this position because of the VTA's failure to negotiate in good faith," union president Raj Singh said. "For months, our members have been disregarded, their sacrifices ignored, and their needs dismissed. We will not back down."
Speaking to CBS News Bay Area reporter Veronica Macias while workers were striking outside agency headquarters Monday, Singh discussed Sunday's meeting.
"We received a call yesterday asking for a sit down. They hinted that we were possibly going to have an open dialogue and maybe come to a compromise. Five minutes into the conversation they essentially turned the tables on us and asked us if we have something to present to them," he said.
The union president went on to express doubt on a quick resolution.
"With everything that the agency has communicated and done over the past week, I really don't know if they truly want to come to a compromise," Singh said.
The union said in addition to wages, sticking points in the contract talks also include benefits and grievance procedures. ATU also claimed that the agency had failed to improve working conditions in the wake of 2021 mass shooting at the VTA rail yard, in which an employee killed nine co-workers before killing himself.
Valley Transportation Authority representatives counter that giving union drivers the 19.1% raise they want would cripple the system, resulting in service and jobs cuts.
Approximately 100,000 people use the VTA system across the region on a daily basis. Some of those regular riders are being forced to get creative to get around the South Bay.
It's unclear how long the strike is going to last. There are currently no new contract talks scheduled between the driver's union and VTA.
