VTA workers head into 2nd week of strike

SAN JOSE, Calif. - It’s been nearly a week since VTA workers decided to strike and now VTA is asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to intervene. VTA says it sent a letter to the governor this weekend as contract negotiations continue to stall.

Right now, there is no end in sight to this strike and, after a week without bus or light rail service, frustrations are growing on both sides of the issue.

Rush Ilngapal says he’s a college student and takes Santa Cruz Metro’s Hwy 17 Express to school. He says he rides the bus regularly but didn’t know about the VTA strike.

"I know a lot of people who work in San Jose. They have to commute to their offices. They have to go to maybe watch a game. A lot of people depend on public transport," said Ilngapal. 

What we know:

VTA says two-thirds of its workers walked off the job last Monday to strike. 

Now it’s asking Gov. Newsom to step in and bring striking employees back to work while negotiations continue. 

VTA wants Newsom to appoint a Board of Investigation to examine its dispute with workers.

"ATU’s strike has resulted in harm to the public’s health, safety and welfare and will cause severe and irreparable harm to VTA and the community it serves as long as it is allowed to continue." - VTA General Manager Carolyn Gonot said in a statement. 

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

Joseph Iwami is a member of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which represents 1,500 VTA workers and picketed outside VTA headquarters on Sunday.  

"We’re all living paycheck to paycheck. It’s very expensive to live in the valley. Like I said, our main concern is the public. They’re really being hit hard right now," said Iwami. 

What's next:

 Robert Ovetz is a labor relations expert and professor at San Jose State University.

"There are other ways to get to where you’re going. It’s not convenient, but until they make that argument there’s really very little basis for the Governor to ask the Attorney General to seek an injunction to stop the strike," said Ovetz.   

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