The Sixth District Court of Appeal denied the petition Friday.
SAN JOSE — A Santa Clara County judge’s ruling that ordered Valley Transportation Authority workers to end their strike and return to work will stand after an appellate court denied the union’s petition to reverse the order on Friday, according to court records.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which went on an historic two-and-a-half week strike in March after negotiations for a new contract broke down, had filed a petition with the Sixth District Court of Appeal on April 1, challenging the ruling of the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
That petition was summarily denied Friday, according to court records.
A representative of the union could not be immediately reached for comment.
“VTA’s original action (in filing for an injunction) was intended to uphold the Collective Bargaining Agreement and ensure that our passengers were being served,” said a VTA spokesperson in a statement. “The appellate court’s denial of the writ petition allows VTA to continue to serve our customers. We are hopeful that ATU will return to bargaining so its members can get a new contract.”
The union walked off the job March 10, and the VTA had filed the court case against the union on the first day of its strike alleging that the union violated a “no strike” clause in the contract. The union maintained that the clause no longer applied because the contract had expired.
In late March, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya ruled that the union had to return to work immediately. He issued an injunction on the grounds that the VTA met its initial burden to show probable success but did not issue a ruling on the claims in the case.
The Court of Appeal had given the Superior Court and the VTA a deadline of Friday to file objections to the suit.
SAN JOSE — A Santa Clara County judge’s ruling that ordered Valley Transportation Authority workers to end their strike and return to work will stand after an appellate court denied the union’s petition to reverse the order on Friday, according to court records.
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 265, which went on an historic two-and-a-half week strike in March after negotiations for a new contract broke down, had filed a petition with the Sixth District Court of Appeal on April 1, challenging the ruling of the Santa Clara County Superior Court.
That petition was summarily denied Friday, according to court records.
A representative of the union could not be immediately reached for comment.
“VTA’s original action (in filing for an injunction) was intended to uphold the Collective Bargaining Agreement and ensure that our passengers were being served,” said a VTA spokesperson in a statement. “The appellate court’s denial of the writ petition allows VTA to continue to serve our customers. We are hopeful that ATU will return to bargaining so its members can get a new contract.”
The union walked off the job March 10, and the VTA had filed the court case against the union on the first day of its strike alleging that the union violated a “no strike” clause in the contract. The union maintained that the clause no longer applied because the contract had expired.
In late March, Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Daniel T. Nishigaya ruled that the union had to return to work immediately. He issued an injunction on the grounds that the VTA met its initial burden to show probable success but did not issue a ruling on the claims in the case.
The Court of Appeal had given the Superior Court and the VTA a deadline of Friday to file objections to the suit.