Best Practices: Labor-Management Partnership, Peer Mentoring Drive Santa Clara VTA Apprenticeship Success
San Jose - Recruiting and retaining qualified workers is difficult for transit agencies, especially during a pandemic. Fortunately, a unique approach at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) in San Jose, Calif., supports worker-centric operations and a flow of workers training as transit operators and maintenance workers, while earning college credit.
The Joint Workforce Investment (JWI) partnership between VTA and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265 was founded in 2006 after ATU developed the concept and presented it to VTA. JWI’s goals are to meet VTA’s need for delivering enhanced public transportation services and creating a work environment that supports the long-term professional development, health and wellness of its employees. JWI conducts focus groups with the help of a neutral third party, who develops unique peer-to-peer training programs for both maintenance workers and operators.
In 2015, JWI became the first in the country to offer an official U.S. Department of Labor coach operator apprenticeship. In 2016, JWI partnered with Mission College to establish four peer-mentor supported California registered apprenticeships, including a coach operator apprenticeship. This apprenticeship focuses on enhancing operator professionalism and coordinating operator concerns with management.
JWI is also about giving back. In 1989, on Day 1 as an operator, a young Walter Hale was involved in a chargeable accident. I was nervous, couldn’t think clearly and had no one for support. I thought I would be terminated. A veteran operator heard of my incident, visited me and helped me navigate through this challenge. I went on to have a very successful career as an operator because of the mentoring I received 32 years ago. I will forever be grateful to my peer and close friend.
JWI creates online tools for operators to succeed, including turn-by-turn route and situational videos. Labor and management are committed to ensuring that both technical skills and soft skills are taught. Handling challenging passenger situations is hard to learn in the classroom; learning that skill from peer mentors in the field is the beauty of JWI’s approach.
Another aspect of JWI is supporting co-workers in their personal lives. As frontline workers, the pandemic weighs heavily on our minds. Addressing concerns of sickness and exposure has brought a sense of unity for one another, providing a safe workplace environment for everyone.
We have yard-based workout facilities to promote health and wellness, a direct result of JWI advocacy and management hearing the workers’ voice. We emphasize balanced nutrition, proper rest and stress management to attain work-life balance.
JWI’s successful performance indicators include reductions in absenteeism, passenger complaints and road calls. VTA’s operator retention rate is more than 90 percent.
The successful labor-management partnership is the reason why JWI is a state and national model. JWI inspired other transit agencies and unions, leading to the 2017 formation of California Transit Works, a statewide consortium of transit agencies, labor unions and community colleges. Most importantly, we have learned to improve communications with each other and resolve issues at the field level. JWI builds a new level of trust – the key to a successful partnership.
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Walter Hale, coach operator; and Steve Jovel, transportation superintendent; JWI Co-Directors.
