JACKSON, Miss.—Loud chants and honking horns boomed in front of the JTRAN bus station on Highway 80 in Jackson all morning as employees went on strike Wednesday.
Valerie Jefferson traveled to Jackson from Louisiana to support the disgruntled JTRAN employees.
Jefferson—a regional representative for Amalgamated Transit Union, the labor union that represents JTRAN employees—passionately led the group in chants all morning.
“Who moves this city?” she asked.
“ATU!” the strikers responded, holding up signs and marching in front of the building.
The strike led the City of Jackson to temporarily shut down JTRAN service, leaving riders without access to public transportation in the capital city.
“This is not an economic strike. This is a safety strike,” Charles Tornes Jr., president of the local chapter of ATU, told the Mississippi Free Press on Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday, several JTRAN employees voiced their frustration with MV Transportation, who they say is too quick to fire employees over what they see as small infractions, creating an unpleasant work environment.
Employees also allege that MV Transportation, which took over management of JTRAN employees in January, has failed to comply with certain terms of their contract, including providing an allowance for uniforms.
Mayor Tried Mediations With Both Parties
The strike on Sept. 4 is the latest episode in the saga between JTRAN and the new management company.
On April 27, JTRAN riders spoke to the Jackson City Council at City Hall, decrying a JTRAN driver “sick-out” that left riders stranded across the capital city.
“The vast majority of the bus operators, support staff and dispatchers called in sick, leaving all the vulnerable riders who depend on JTRAN stranded,” disability-rights activist Scott Crawford said at the meeting.
Crawford continued, saying that the coordinated mass call-outs led to confusion among riders who did not find out until hours later that their routes were delayed or canceled altogether. “Many people, including myself, waited hours on the side of the road wondering what was going on.”
At the time, Charles Tornes, president of the local chapter of ATU, said employees had 29 grievances with the company, including long work hours due to staffing shortages, WAPT reported.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba mediated meetings with both parties earlier this year, hoping to avoid an interruption for Jacksonians who use the service.
“What I have committed to is to sit down with both sides collectively,” the mayor said during a press conference on May 28. “I’ve sat down with each side individually, and now we’re looking to bring them together so that we can act as a mediator, quite possibly, between any issues that they have.”
Those negotiations fell through recently.
The City of Jackson released a statement on Wednesday saying that “contract negotiations between the JTRAN bus drivers’ union and management company MV Transportation Inc. have broken down.”
“The City is fully aware of the significant impact this has on our community. We are encouraging both sides to return to the table and uphold their responsibilities to the residents who depend on them. We are hopeful that negotiations will resume soon and lead to a fair and timely resolution,” the statement continued.
‘Unnecessary and Counterproductive Strike’
In a statement to the Mississippi Free Press on Wednesday, MV Transportation called the JTRAN strike “unnecessary and counterproductive,” standing behind the company’s safety protocols and procedures.
“We are deeply disappointed the union has chosen to execute a strike, placing an unnecessary burden on those who rely on our services to get to work, school and life-saving appointments,” MV Transportation’s statement read.
ATU President Charles Tornes said Wednesday that the group was prepared to strike for as long as it takes for MV Transportation to answer their demands. “Management companies come and go. We’re going to be here,” he said.
