VTA bus service to resume Friday, light rail delayed due to alleged copper wire theft

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- VTA workers reported back to their jobs on Thursday, but plenty of work had to be done behind the scenes before service resumed for riders.

"What's happening today is inspections of equipment, facilities, buses, light rail, tracks, trains," said Stacey Hendler Ross, a VTA Spokesperson, on Thursday.

VTA said that while limited bus service wouldn't take as long to get running again, light rail is a different story.

The track inspection and maintenance that was already necessary is now taking longer because of copper wire theft.

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"So that has to be replaced. That work has to be done. We want to make sure everything is as safe as it possibly can be before we get service going," Hendler Ross said.

VTA said much of that theft happened along the Green Line between Santa Clara and Campbell.

The hope is that light rail service will be up and running by Monday.

Wednesday, a judge ruled that ATU Local 265 members violated a no-strike clause in their contract and issued a preliminary injunction sending them back to work.

VTA said it lost $76,000 each day services were halted during the strike.

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"The bigger cost is to our passengers who are not able to get to work, not able to get to school, not able to get to medical care, things like that," she said.

In the meantime, ATU Local 265, the union representing the workers who went on strike, said it plans to appeal the court ruling that sent them back to work.

Dr. Robert Ovetz, a senior lecturer in political science at San Jose State University, teaches labor relations.

He said he disagrees with the judge's ruling that sent workers back to the job while they're still negotiating a new contract.

"When you take that away, that gives the disproportionate power to the employer and puts the workers at a disadvantage because they no longer have that form of action that they can take," he said.

VTA said it's waiting for ATU to come to the table with something to resolve the contract negotiations.

The South Bay Labor Council who has aligned with ATU Local 265 sent a statement saying: "The South Bay Labor Council and ATU Local 265 remain committed to negotiating with VTA Management in good faith to secure a contract that guarantees transit workers a fair wage, as well as the dignity, due process and safety they deserve. And we will continue to put pressure on VTA Board members who engage in regressive bargaining or who retaliate against workers for exercising their rights."

Editor's Note: Earlier Thursday, VTA claimed that copper thefts "skyrocketed" during the strike. However, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office reached out to ABC7 News to clarify that there were actually fewer reported copper thefts than this time last year. Sheriff's office officials say there were two reported thefts during the strike, while there were four thefts this time last year. VTA maintains that: "Inspections are revealing an increased value of copper wire theft."