Santa Clara County judge orders VTA employees back to work

Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel Nishigaya this week ordered 1,500 striking Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) front-line workers back to work starting today.

 Amalgamated Transportation Union (ATU) Local 265 members, which include VTA bus and light-rail operators, have been on strike for the past 17 days at the California transit agency.

The judge ruled the union's 17-day strike caused irreparable harm to the community and violated a no-strike clause in the union's contract. Bus service restarted today, while light-rail service is anticipated to restart March 31. The delay in restarting service on the 42-mile light-rail service is due to a copper-wire theft, VTA officials told local news media. The wire has to be replaced before the trains can operate.

VTA has offered an 11% wage increase over three years, but the union is demanding an 18% wage increase over three years, which VTA says would force the agency to make cuts to service and jobs.

VTA lost $76,000 every day of the strike, according to local news outlets. While work is resuming, workers still do not have a contract. ATU Local 265 has not put out a statement on the return to work order as of press time today.

"We hope this ruling will encourage ATU to return to the bargaining table with a proposal that will resolve the contract conflict," said VTA officials in a press release.