VTA workers are aimed at the second week of strike

San José, California. – It has been almost a week since VTA The workers decided to attack and now VTA is asking Governor Gavin Newsom to intervene. VTA says he sent a letter to the governor this weekend as the contract negotiations continue to stop.

At this time, there is no end in view of this strike and, after a week without a bus service or light harvest, frustrations are growing on both sides of the problem.

Rush Ilngopal says he is a university student and leads Hwy 17 Express School of Santa Cruz Metro to school. He says he set up the bus regularly, but he didn’t know about VTA’s strike.

“I know many people who work in San José. They have to travel to their offices. They may have to go see a game. Many people depend on public transport,” said Ilngal.

What we know:

VTA says that two thirds of their workers left work last Monday to attack.

Now he is asking Governor Newsom to intervene and bring surprising employees to work while negotiations continue.

VTA wants Newsom to designate a research board to examine your dispute with workers.

“ATU’s strike has resulted in public health, safety and well -being and will cause severe and irreparable damage to the VTA and the community to which it serves while allowing to continue.” – VTA’s general manager, Carolyn Gonot, said in a statement.

VTA says it is offering a 9% increase in the next three years, but the union is asking for an increase of 18%.

Joseph Iwami is a member of the Local Amalgamated Transits Union 265, which represents 1,500 workers of VTA and Sunday at the VTA headquarters.

“We all live in payment check for the check. It is very expensive to live in the valley. As I said, our main concern is the public. They are really being beaten at this time,” Iwami said.

What follows?

Robert Ovetz is an expert in labor relations and professor at the State University of San José.

“There are other ways to get where it is going. It is not convenient, but until they make that argument, there really is very little base for the governor to ask the attorney general to seek a court order to stop the strike,” said Ovetz.

VTA also filed a lawsuit against the union this week, saying that the union violated a ‘no strike’ clause in its contract.