VTA union strike to continue, officials tap Newsom for help
Source: Mercury News
Agency, union officials met Saturday, but the strike will continue this week
By Kyle Martin | UPDATED: March 15, 2025 at 9:40 PM PDT
South Bay public transportation workers will continue to strike through the weekend, a union spokesman said, after negotiations between Valley Transportation Authority officials and the union failed Saturday.
“It looks like the agency reached out to the governor’s office for a cooling off period,” Raj Singh, a spokesman for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, said in an interview. “‘They’re exploring all options except for the one that obviously resolves this conflict, which is coming to the table and presenting us a fair contract proposal.”
Transportation workers just finished up nearly a week of picketing when VTA and union officials agreed to meet Saturday evening. But as workers continue to strike for higher wages and a change in their contract’s arbitration language, Singh said the agency remains unwilling to budge. The two sides also met Thursday to negotiate, but to no avail.
“It’s the same offer that they’ve had on the table since Feb. 28th essentially,” Singh said. “They know what the right thing is, but they still refuse to do it. They’re being bullies.”
Workers strike VTA in San Jose, Calif., on Friday, March 14, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group)
Read more: https://www.mercurynews.com/2025/03/15/vta-union-strike-to-continue-officials-tap-newsom/
There are about 1,500 workers on strike.