JTRAN operations were suspended on Saturday leaving riders stranded. Hear from residents

Last Saturday, JTRAN buses came to a halt as employees purportedly called a “sick-out,” but it’s unclear for what reason.

Figuring out the "why" took place during Tuesday's Jackson City Council meeting, as council members heard from residents, JTRAN riders and even officials from MV Transportation — who manages JTRAN for the city.

But still no official answers were given for why JTRAN employees decided to call out. MV Transportation officials said they are still in discussions with their employees' union to find answers. The union is called Amalgamated Transit Union, which is headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland. Calls to the union were unanswered.

Will Devine, Jackson resident and JTRAN rider, said he spoke with other riders who were forced to wait at the bus stop for more than three hours.

"On our way back we happened to go by several bus stops and there were still people stranded there," Devine said. "You could see the grocery bags in-front of them where they had been shopping and stuck. It's bad because if you're riding the bus and something's going on you don't know, you're just sitting there waiting for your expected ride … I totally depend on JTRAN for my transportation."

Another Jackson resident, JTRAN rider and local activist for those with disabilities, Scott Crawford, told council members the experience has left him and other riders anxious about the future.

"I'm an activist at heart and I'm very familiar with organized actions. This one makes no sense at all. It only harmed hundreds of vulnerable people who couldn't get to their jobs, medical appointments or other important obligations," Crawford said. "It's left the ridership scared."

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba addressed it during his Monday press conference, but like everyone else, he said he hadn't heard from anyone from JTRAN or MV Transportation as to what the "sick-out" was called for.

"I have never been a part of a demonstration where the person I was demonstrating against didn't even know what we were demonstrating about," Lumumba said.

Ward 2 Councilwoman Angelique Lee, as with other council members, wanted some answers saying this was the first time anything like this has ever happened in Jackson.

All of this comes weeks after Lumumba and other JTRAN officials celebrated the relaunch of the city's bus system, including new buses, new routes and new bus signs.

Statement from MV Transportation

Terry Thompson, the vice president for customer success for MV Transportation, shared a statement with council members, saying they were unaware of the mass call-outs and are in talks with the union. The company also shared that the union is in violation of the collective bargaining agreement in a statement released Tuesday.

"MV is deeply disheartened by the recent actions of several union employees that participated in the mass call-outs that adversely impacted the para-transit and service. As of this morning, the company still doesn't know exactly why the employees chose to violate the collective bargaining agreement and participate in an unsanctioned labor action. However, in a recent meeting with the local union they raised issues with MV's safety adherence. There was no mention of MV not honoring the collective bargaining agreement or the financial terms contained within it. Please note, that the previous contractor's collective bargaining agreement with the union allowed for unsafe behaviors, which endanger passengers, employees and the community. MV made the union aware months ago that we would implement our industry leading safety standards and training program. It's important to understand that MV will never compromise on our commitment to deliver world class safety and customer service to the Jackson community and our employees."

The statement continued:

Now what we do know about the mass call-outs, there was a zoom call handled by local union members to coordinate the call-outs. The employees that engaged in this activity did not follow the bargaining process, which their international reps also agreed to. Now what we're doing to prevent this from happening again, first, we've taken legal action against the union to prevent this type of activity from reoccurring, secondly, we'll continue to monitor the situation, refine our operational ready program and to keep the staff, city, as well as our staff involved and up to speed on everything. We will also continue to meet with the union to foster healthy labor relationships that will allow us to provide the kind of transit service the community of Jackson deserves and one that you can be proud of."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS JTRAN employees called a 'sick-out' over the weekend