SAN JOSE – The Valley Transportation Authority and the union representing workers returned to the mediation table Tuesday, just one day after the union overwhelmingly voted down the most recent contract proposal and the agency announced Uber vouchers to help offset the impact to riders.

Following several days of mediation and negotiation last week, the agency offered Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 two new contract proposals late in the week and over the weekend. But the union expressed concerns that these new proposals — while offering an 11% raise over three years — lacked an agreement that employees who went on strike will not face retaliation upon their return to work and added new stipulations that had been removed from negotiations in January.

The agency and the union met with the state mediator beginning at 10 a.m., according to a social media post from ATU.

On Monday night, the VTA announced it will offer Uber vouchers up to $5 for each ride with a maximum of two rides per day. Rides must begin and end at a VTA bus or light rail stop and must be ordered on Uber’s mobile app, according to the VTA.

Customers will pay for the first $2.50 of any ride, after which the voucher will take effect, and any additional costs will also be paid by the customer, the agency said.

The VTA announced the pilot program after members of ATU Local 265 voted overwhelmingly to reject the agency’s latest contract offer.

ATU members protesting ride on a trolly down East Santa Clara Street in downtown San Jose, Calif., on Tuesday, March 25, 2025. (Shae Hammond/Bay Area News Group) 

On Tuesday afternoon, union members and local politicians gathered outside San Jose City Hall to pressure the VTA to offer them a fair contract, holding signs that read “Unite HERE” and “Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265 on Strike Against VTA.” Rallygoers rode a trolley down the street, with people holding up signs as its bell rang.

Armando Barbosa, ATU’s executive board director for operations and an organizer of the rally, said that the union’s concerns with the new contract are not about money; rather, they are concerned that the two most recent proposals did not include the memorandum of understanding that says that workers who went on strike will not face retaliation on their return to work. The new proposal also added in items that were previously removed from negotiations, including a revised attendance policy that impacts overtime pay, he said.

“We’ve been saying we do want to come back to work, and when we do come back to work, we want it to be free from retaliation, free from harm, free from any discipline,” Barbosa said. “I’m asking the community — when VTA says we gave them 1%, look at what they’re asking us to take in exchange for that 1%.”

Barbosa added that leadership’s biggest concern in the strike is protecting the union members.

Related Articles

VTA to offer Uber vouchers amid ongoing strike

VTA workers reject latest contract offer, extending strike

VTA offers new contract, but union demands more

VTA union to vote on new contract proposal Saturday after nearly two weeks of striking

VTA, union leaders summoned to appear in court next week as transit strike continues

The two sides are set to appear in court Wednesday afternoon in a case filed by VTA alleging that the union is violating a “no strike” clause in their contract.

In a statement Monday, the VTA said it had put forward a “more than fair proposal that ensures employees receive competitive pay and strong benefits for themselves and their families.”

“VTA’s latest proposal reflects our commitment to our workforce,” the agency said, “and we urge our employees to embrace this chance to secure their future and return to work.”

The union walked off the job March 10 after negotiations for a new contract fell apart the week before, primarily due to the two sides disagreeing on arbitration language and the size of a pay raise. The strike has impacted roughly 100,000 people.

More information about the voucher program is available on the agency’s website.

Staff writer Jason Green contributed to this report.