SAN JOSE, Calif. — A judge has ordered an end to the strike by Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority workers.
The San Jose Mercury News reports Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya on Wednesday issued an injunction ordering the 1,500 members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 back to work, saying the VTA had shown it was likely to succeed in its lawsuit.
The VTA announced bus service will resume Friday, while light rail operation will return following system inspections.
The VTA filed suit immediately after the strike began, saying the union was violating a no-strike clause in its contract that expired on March 3 [see “Santa Clara VTA seeks court order …,” Trains News Wire, March 13, 2025]. The agency’s initial filing was rejected by the judge on technical grounds; the ruling came after a Wednesday hearing following the VTA’s refiling of its action.
The workers remain without a contract, having rejected the VTA’s latest offer on Monday [see “Striking workers vote down …,” News Wire, March 24, 2025]. The VTA said in a statement that it hoped the ruling “will encourage ATU to return to the bargaining table with a proposal that will resolve the contract conflict.”
Local 265 president Raj Singh said the union believes “the justice system and the court has failed us. … the workers lost today.”
The strike began on March 10, with the union seeking 6% raises in each year of a three-year contract, while the VTA was offering raises of 4%, 3%, and 2%. The agency subsequently increased its offer to 11% over three years, uncompounded.
At least VTA’s legal department got the petition correct this time.