The JTRAN bus strike has been going on for several weeks and shows no sign of ending

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – The JTran bus strike has entered its third week.

The workers said they were on strike because of unfair treatment of employees by the surveillance company, MV Transportation, employee safety and job security.

MV Transportation is finally shedding light on things from their perspective.

“It is heartbreaking to us that this union has chosen to strike and not provide essential services or amenities to the citizens of Jackson, Mississippi,” said Gary Coles, who serves as director of customer success at MV Transportation.

So far this year, Coles said it has had to fire three workers for reckless behaviour, including one instance where a driver knocked someone down.

“That’s the basis of this strike; it’s to force the city and MV to reinstate the people who violated their own existing collective bargaining agreement, and we’re going to stand firm on our safety principles,” Coles said.

According to the company, 45 complaints have been filed against JTran workers.

Coles said the company held workers accountable for their actions and that MV Transportation had no plans to reinstate the drivers who were fired.

“A Jackson resident was hit by a bus and lost part of his leg. Two wheelchairs were not secured at all four corners and the wheelchairs tipped over twice,” Coles said. “In both cases, the existing collective bargaining agreement refers to reckless conduct by an employee, and we consider that to be reckless conduct, and the consequence is termination.”

However, Charles Tornes Junior, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union which represents the workers, refutes these claims.

“These allegations are false,” Thornes said. “We are aware of one incident where there was a man on the bus who was drunk and the driver asked him to get off. When he got off the bus, the driver went back to his seat and this drunk individual fell off and rolled under the bus. It was not malicious, it was an accident. That is the only incident we are aware of, the other two are incredulous.”

Tornes said the reason for their protest was unfair treatment by the company, employee safety and job security.

“We just hope they see that we are serious and that we want a much better working environment,” Tornes said. “We are here with optimism that we can move things forward and put them on the table today. We have a meeting scheduled in the next three days, so we hope we can find a solution.”

As for the current situation, both sides are still negotiating and trying to reach an agreement.

Meanwhile, Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba said the city is working to find ways to provide transportation for people with disabilities who rely on the city’s bus service for daily travel.

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