Jackson Transit Workers Win Strike, Save Saturday Service

Eighty public transit workers in Jackson, Mississippi, have won a tentative agreement with MV Transportation, after a grueling five-week strike. The transit workers represented by ATU Local 1208 garnered public support and were able to win most of their major demands.

One of their most important victories was that they fought off a proposal for microtransit, a form of private on-call transit service that would have brought in drivers without a commercial driver’s license at a lower-tier wage. Besides the fact that microtransit is much less reliable for riders with disabilities, the union felt it needed to take a stand on principle against the introduction of a two-tier wage system.

There were other wins for riders in the contract. JTRAN workers were able to stop cuts to Saturday service and the elimination of two bus routes. Throughout the strike the riding public was supportive, bringing water and food to support strikers on the picket line. A snow cone truck even made the trip from Tennessee to help them cool off in the heat.

The union also struck a blow against an unfair disciplinary system where many drivers were getting terminated for minor infractions. The new agreement includes a two-person accident review board with representatives from the union and the company. Originally, MV Transportation was pushing to stack the deck with two company representatives.

Importantly in the state with the highest poverty rate, workers won a 5 percent across the board wage increase. Early in negotiations the company had agreed to this increase for new hires, but proposed a much lower increase for high-seniority drivers.

One big issue the union still did not win was guaranteed breaks for drivers. (Neither federal law nor Mississippi state law requires meal or rest breaks.) This will be a priority for the next contract, which expires on December 31, 2028.