San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) service temporarily came to an abrupt halt on Monday but has since fully resumed.
In a message posted to the transit agency’s website, a “board meeting matter” prompted the service disruption.Â
A special board meeting was scheduled on Monday regarding San Joaquin RTD’s CEO position. According to a representative from San Joaquin RTD, the drivers’ union was protesting in solidarity with CEO Alex Clifford after he was placed on administrative leave and is expected to be terminated from the role.
Clifford said over 250 employees filled the boardroom to share their concerns. Clifford said he was shocked to hear this news, having only been notified of the special meeting about his termination last Friday.
He said he then sent out an email to employees about his expected termination over the weekend, which led to the protest. As a result of the protest, no drivers were available to operate buses.
It’s been an ongoing issue, revolving around Measure K and the $62 million RTD has been fighting for to fix aging buses.
Stockton Mayor Christina Fugazi, who is also the chair of the San Joaquin Council of Governments, claimed back in October that RTD did not submit qualifying expenses, so their request was denied.
Clifford spoke to CBS News Sacramento after the meeting and called it “a coup.”
“I notified the union (president), Crystal McGee, about it, and she was upset, because it’s a coup, and she called it for what it is. It’s a coup. These individuals didn’t even have the courtesy to call the union president and try to explain in advance what they were up to when they proposed to take the CEO of their organization,” Clifford said.
Fugazi had also released a statement earlier in the day demanding that service be restored.
“Any action that disrupts residents’ ability to get to work, school, medical appointments, or essential services is unacceptable and unconscionable,” Fugazi stated. “I have directed that service be fully restored without delay.”
San Joaquin RTD announced around 2 p.m. that service was beginning to resume in phases. Operations have since been fully restored.
According to the San Joaquin RTD, the agency serves much of the Stockton area with an annual ridership number of more than 2,500,000 as of 2024.Â
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