The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 strike, which began at midnight on March 10, has halted all Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority bus and light rail services, affecting approximately 100,000 daily riders.
The strike follows six months of stalled negotiations over wage increases, benefits and workplace safety.
The union is demanding an increase in annual raise over three years, while VTA said it has offered a similar raise for the same period, totaling a compounded 9.3% increase.
The union also seeks improvements in benefits and workplace conditions.
The strike has significantly impacted commuters, including students such as Oscar Cruz, psychology major, who relies on VTA for his daily commute and expressed support for the strike.
“It’s very appropriate for people to express their rights,” Cruz said
He noted that it has caused him inconvenience, as he now bikes an hour and a half to De Anza College from East San Jose.
“It is affecting me coming to school, because I decided to stop driving and I was going to just commute through VTA,” Cruz said.
Jack Connor, 20, film production major, also supports the strike but said that it has made commuting more challenging.
“I think it’s good for them,” Connor said, referring to the union’s demands.
He is managing his commute using an electric scooter, which he finds “doable.” Connor heard about the strike last week and believes it might last a few weeks.
“I don’t think it’s gonna die down fast,” Connor said.
VTA drivers often face dangerous situations, including passenger threats and the need to break road laws to pick up and drop off passengers safely.
Nelson Chacon is a VTA bus driver familiar with these risks.
“We get attacked when driving with no protection … we encounter crazy passengers threatening not myself, but other drivers’ lives,” Chacon said.
The strike is financially impacting union members, who are not receiving pay during this time.
Mark Neville, union representative, said that the strike could last up to three days but acknowledged that it might extend further.
“We are not getting paid, so it’s a sacrifice we need to make,” Neville said.
VTA Paratransit is unaffected by the strike and will remain in service.
