SAN JOSE, CALIF. — Valley Transport Authority (VTA) Employee Union, known as the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), began a historic first-time “walk off the job” this past Monday, March 10, after seven months of negotiations that ended in an impasse, affecting the whole of Santa Clara County. 

Current bus operators’ salaries start from 25 dollars an hour and a cap at 39 dollars an hour, According to the 2025 Labor Negotiations Updates, VTA says they’re willing to offer employees a nine percent pay increase over a three-year period, while union members are seeking a 19.1% increase in a three-year period. They are concerned about the cost of housing and the rate of inflation.

No bus or light rail will be in service during the strike and only paratransit, which is provided for people with disabilities, will be in service. A lot of our students here at Silver Creek, including some staff, use public transportation, such as VTA buses and the light rail system, as their means of transportation, so they’re negatively affected by this strike. 

Some students feel they might not be able to have the proper resources now that this strike is in effect; Tinh Nguyen, a senior at Silver Creek High and an avid user of the VTA bus, said “Because I have to walk nearly an hour every single day, I have to carry a lot less stuff to school every day. This means that I occasionally don’t have the resources for my classes.”  With more walking to do, we can see how some students would feel they could not carry all the necessary supplies for school.

Most significantly affecting Silver Creek students is the weekday southbound bus route number 70 Eastridge Transit to Silver Creek and Lexton Street, and weekday northbound bus route 70 Senter and Monterey Street to Silver Creek and Capital, and no incoming or outgoing light rails from Capital station. It will affect them since the routs are the only way to get to Silver Creek with the bus

According to the Valley Transport Authority, VTA and the union met Friday to discuss as this workers’ strike continued for a fifth day.

The VTA remained firm this past March 15 at the nine percent increase when it presented its total compensation package during its negotiations, saying anything more would lead to service cuts. The agency (ATU) also filed a legal complaint this week, arguing a no-strike clause in its contract that will remain in effect until there is a new deal.