The two-week strike is over and JTRAN bus services in the city of Jackson are running again.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, speaking at a news conference Wednesday with members of the Amalgamated Transit Union, or ATU, and MV Transportation officials, announced that the two sides had reached a collective bargaining agreement. Lumumba thanked both parties for coming together and working it out.
JTRAN services resumed Wednesday morning after a 14-day strike by the ATU that began on September 4. The union demanded a safer working environment with better working conditions, citing workplace issues such as safety and security concerns, contract negotiations and unfair dismissals.
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“I’ve heard from both sides in this process and I believe there are reasonable points made on both sides. So I’m grateful that we can stand here today and say that we have found a way forward,” Lumumba said, adding that he hopes MV Transportation and ATU will continue to have open discussions.
Charles Tornes, president of the local union ATU, said he was confident both parties were satisfied, but apologized to bus passengers affected by the strike.
“We hope that we can continue to satisfy the public with public transportation and that we can continue to work together with MV Transportation,” Tornes said.
MV Transportation was hired by the city in January to operate the bus system. Leslie Barnes, an official with MV Transportation, thanked Lumumba at the news conference and added that the company “looks forward to continuing to provide service to the city of Jackson.”
But when asked about the details of the collective agreement and whether the union had met all the conditions, Lumumba took over the press conference again and said he “did not want to pit anyone against each other.”
“Essentially, it’s making sure that a workforce that has been there and gone through a number of management groups and the new management group (MV Transportation) can put the pieces into place,” the mayor said. “There were differences in how their operations were going before they came together and so fortunately they were able to bring us forward at this time. I don’t think anyone was disingenuous in that practice or that process.”
On September 11, the Jackson City Council held a special meeting to discuss the possible termination of the contract with MV Transportation. Ultimately, they voted against the decision.
But during the meeting, ATU members and MV Transportation’s human resources director Jarrett Andrews clashed after Andrews said the union refused to accept a provision in the collective bargaining agreement that requires a driver to be fired if he “drives into pedestrians or kills someone.”
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While he did not provide a direct answer, Lumumba said that “discussions about safety protocols and discipline were certainly part of the discussion.”
“They’re standing before you today because they have an agreement that they can work with and move forward,” Lumumba said. “I think everyone, at the center of their interests, is protecting and making sure that our ridership is safe, that our drivers are safe in the process. So, they have a resolution in that matter.”
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: JTRAN Strike Over. Buses in Jackson MS Are Running Again.
