By Aaron Lampley and Molly Minta | Originally published by Mississippi Today
This is a developing story.
A monthlong strike by Jackson transit workers ended Thursday when their union and MV Transportation reached agreement on a new contract, clearing the way for JTRAN workers to return to work after walking off the job in July.
Mayor John Horhn called the agreement “good news” and thanked both sides for ending the 38-day strike.
“Today’s agreement moves us forward and allows us to focus on providing the dependable transit service our residents expect and deserve,” Horhn said in a statement.
Details about the new agreement, which still must be ratified by members of the Amalgamated Transit Union’s Local 1208, were not immediately available. Union negotiators said they had been seeking better pay and benefits.
The agreement builds on the minimum pay under the previous contract, which started at $17.18 per hour and $23.00 for senior employees. It is unclear what the new pay scale will be under the new contract.
“This strike shows that our members are willing to lay it all on the line for justice,” local 1208 president Charles Tornes Jr. said in a statement. “I want to thank our riders, and all our allies for coming out and standing with us.”
MV Transportation did not immediately comment on the agreement.
A spokesperson for the city, Nic Lott, said provisions in the new contract include the use of smaller vehicles to serve residents throughout the city.
JTRAN transit workers protest outside the JTRAN Administration and Maintenance Facility Monday, July 13, 2026, in Jackson. MV Transportation failed to reach an agreement after contract discussions. Credit: Eric Shelton/Mississippi Today
Over the past weeks, the two sides have been negotiating a collective bargaining agreement mostly out of public view with the help of a federal mediator.
The union had been seeking competitive pay raises, while MV Transportation proposed a number of changes to JTRAN, including new safety policies and the ability to hire drivers without commercial licenses to operate smaller vehicles for on-demand services.
JTRAN provides buses and paratransit services, which represent a lifeline for low-income and disabled Jacksonians to get to work, medical appointments or the grocery store.
Though JTRAN is a publicly funded service, its unionized employees work for MV Transportation, which calls itself the largest privately owned transportation company in America.
The recent strike was the second work stoppage since MV Transportation won the contract to manage Jackson’s transit system. The first strike occurred in the fall of 2024 and ended with the help of a federal mediator.
MV brought in outside workers during the strike to continue bus services. Company representatives have said the bus system mostly ran as normal throughout the strike.
Community members and riders alike voiced concerns throughout the strike. Scott Crawford, a local activist for people with disabilities, wrote multiple letters to the union voicing his worries about how paratransit users would be affected.
“This is good news for all JTRAN riders, but I have a lot of questions about the agreement,” Crawford said.
Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes threatened to cancel the city’s contract with MV if the two parties could not come to an agreement by Aug. 11. While an order was presented to the City Council, the other six council members denied to second the motion.
Horhn waived requirements that JTRAN drivers hold Mississippi driver’s license, allowing the Texas-based company to bring in out-of-state drivers. The union called the move dangerous.
In late May, tension came to a head after the union learned that Horhn and his administration were presenting the City Council with a plan drafted by MV Transportation that would trim 20% of JTRAN’s roughly $9-million budget.
The city’s chief administrative officer, Pieter Teeuwissen, pulled the plan before the council could vote on it, citing the need for public hearings before a decision could be made.
