JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – JTRAN suspended service across Jackson on Wednesday, September 4 due to a strike by union workers.

The strikers picketed outside of the main office on Highway 80. Charles Tornes, Jr., president of the local Amalgamated Transit Union, said the strike was due to safety concerns.

“This is what’s taking place because of the unfair practices at JTRAN transportation. And with this unfortunate thing, you know, we have a relationship with passengers. I’ve driven JTRAN buses for years, and I’ve come to know some of these passengers personally, and I know they depend on JTRAN to get to and from, and it’s just a said day because MV won’t come to the bargaining table on these issues that we have a JTRAN,” said Tornes.

MV Transportation has managed the City of Jackson’s fixed route and paratransit services since January 2024.

“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,” the company said in a statement to WJTV 12 News.

MV Transportation called the strike “unnecessary and counterproductive.” They said the union has made “a number of inaccurate or baseless charges” and that they have corrected the record.

Despite those misrepresentations, we have engaged in constructive negotiations to address outstanding issues for a collective bargaining agreement between MV and the union. Through those efforts, we have agreed on dozens of issues and only have one unresolved CBA provision, literally involving just one word.

You may wonder, what was the one word that was so bad that the union would not agree or even continue to negotiate? Simply put, MV believes strongly that certain unsafe behaviors “will” lead to an employee no longer providing service to the people of Jackson – not, as the union insisted, “may” be terminated in order to create an excuse for them to launch months-long protests to prevent accountability. For example:

• If a driver were to be cited for hitting a pedestrian while driving, we believe
  that driver is unsafe and must no longer provide service.
• Similarly, if a driver fails to properly secure a wheelchair-bound
  passenger, we believe that driver is unsafe and must no longer provide
  service.
• Likewise, if a driver causes a fatality, we believe that driver is unsafe and
  must no longer provide service.

We observe these very reasonable standards in over 100 locations across the United States. They are the reason we provide the safest possible service to our customers; we believe strongly that the people of Jackson deserve the same safety standards and protections.

Unfortunately, the union leadership does not agree with our position. They appear to believe – and they have apparently decided to strike over this single issue – that an employee can commit such egregious safety violations and still continue to work in the same job, putting passengers, fellow citizens and employees at risk, while they protest any efforts to terminate that unsafe employee.

Our highest priority is the safety of our passengers, our employees and our fellow Jackson citizens, and the standards that provide this safety must take priority over the job of anyone who violates these safety standards. We believe anyone who appreciates this reasonable, common-sense standard will understand our position and recognize that the self-interested approach put forth by union leadership that would prevent accountability cannot take priority over passenger safety.

MV will cooperate with JTRAN and City officials to accommodate service, especially life essential trips, as appropriate and as permitted.

MV Transportation

The City of Jackson also released a statement to WJTV 12 News about the strike.

Unfortunately, contract negotiations between the JTRAN bus drivers’ union and management company MV Transportation Inc. have broken down. As a result, the bus drivers have decided to go on strike. 

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.

In the meantime, we must inform you that JTRAN is temporarily shut down. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding and patience during this challenging time.

The safety of both our drivers and passengers remains our top priority, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.

City of Jackson