Union workers with Jackson’s public transportation system are on strike, and Mayor John Horhn is calling on all parties involved to quickly reach a solution as a disruption in services could impact roughly 1,000 daily riders.
JTRAN workers began their strike Monday at 4 a.m. The Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local-1208, the organization representing more than 60 JTRAN employees, contend that contractor MV Transportation has unlawfully surveilled workers, unilaterally changed work rules to retaliate against employees, and committed other infractions.
Another concern raised by the union is an MV Transportation-backed “microtransit” model where JTRAN’s budget would be cut by roughly 20% and the public service would shift to using smaller vehicles for on-demand rides, along with cutting two existing bus routes.
“I respect the concerns raised by our JTRAN operators and I recognize the important role they play in keeping Jackson moving every day,” Horhn said in a statement. “The union has expressed concerns about the microtransit component of the proposal, while the service provider believes it could be a cost-saving measure. We are carefully evaluating both perspectives to determine what makes the most sense for our riders, our workers, and our taxpayers.”
JTRAN’s union workers voted in June to authorize a strike. But before actually going on strike, the union and contractor began negotiating an agreement that would satisfy all parties, but ATU argues that MV Transportation engaged in bad-faith negotiations.
“We want the citizens of Jackson to know we did not want to strike. We hope they stand with us. Our frontline bus operators who keep our city moving have been ignored for far too long by MV,” ATU Local President/Business Agent Charles Tornes Jr. said. “We have been willing to work with MV to avert this strike, but they continue to bargain in bad faith and refuse to address our concerns. It has become clear MV has no regard for their workers and riders.”
The union and the contractor have been in negotiations since the workers’ contract expired in December 2025. This is the second time in two years that JTRAN workers have gone on strike. Back in September 2024, employees went on a two-week strike, arguing that they had been unjustly punished for calling out sick or taking time off work. The strike forced the city to temporarily pause JTRAN services.
In the meantime, Horhn said his priority is to both ensure that drivers are being treated fairly and that residents who depend on public transit have access to it. For the time being, MV Transportation has begun deploying additional drivers from out of state in order to maintain as much service as possible on JTRAN routes.
To allow those individuals to operate legally, Horhn has waived the requirement for them to hold a Mississippi driver’s license. Those who don’t possess a commercial driver’s license will also be able to drive a JTRAN vehicle as the strike continues.
As for the strike itself, Horhn called on both parties to reach out to federal mediators to solve this issue as quickly as possible.
“The City of Jackson encourages both parties to use federal mediation to try to resolve their remaining open issues,” Horhn said. “Service levels may be adjusted as the situation evolves, and the City will provide updates as new information becomes available.”
