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Members of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 and the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority have not yet voted on a resolution as of Saturday, a VTA representative said.

Union members were expected to vote Saturday on a new labor agreement with the VTA.

The deal would have included a 10.5% wage increase over three years and expanded benefits, including enhanced dental coverage and union-requested arbitration terms.

According to Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, union leaders said their concerns were “not about money.”

In a news release, VTA, which covers full healthcare costs for most union employees, said the proposal is competitive and fair.

Earlier this month, VTA asked Gov. Gavin Newsom to order workers back to their jobs and filed for a Superior Court injunction on March 10, citing “irreparable harm to the community.” The agency argued the strike violated a “no strike” clause in the previous contract.

The strike began Monday, March 10, after contract talks broke down the night before. Bus and light rail service was halted, disrupting commutes for nearly 100,000 daily riders. Paratransit service continued operating. Union leaders said they were pushed to strike over unresolved issues, including fair wages, benefits, grievance procedures and workplace safety concerns following the 2021 mass shooting that killed VTA employees.

ATU Local 265 President Raj Singh did not immediately return calls for comment on Saturday.

The union represents more than 1,500 workers, including operators, maintenance staff, dispatchers and customer service representatives.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that the board had voted on the contract proposal. The board does not vote on contract proposals until union members approve of a proposal offered by negotiators. We regret the error.

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Michelle Iracheta is the editor of the Redwood City Pulse. She began her journalism career in 2013 at a Houston NPR affiliate and has reported for newspapers in California, Texas, Nevada, Washington and...

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2 Comments

  2. Wow. They get free healthcare too?

    It’s not about the money it’s because the unions want arbitration and the VTA wants arguments to be settled by courts. For the taxpayers, this is cheaper because it raises the bar for employees to pursue claims and there is a greater chance of the employee losing because the bar to win is usually higher. And arbitrator tries to split the difference.

    Separately, while I love bus transportation, it’s interesting how there hasn’t been more traffic, without the buses on el Camino. A good show of how underutilized it is. There’s just not a lot of pain felt by this strike.

    Bottom line is the VTA is losing money, the unions need to realize they are sucking it dry.

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