UTA sues employee union, alleging it hasn't agreed to required safety plans

Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

By Jose Davila IV | May 24, 2026, 7:00 a.m.

Hundreds of millions in federal money that could help expand Utah Transit Authority services is at risk because the agency’s frontline employee union hasn’t signed required safety documents, UTA alleged in a lawsuit filed last month.

The transit agency sued the union for breach of contract, alleging that the organization refused to engage with or sign on to the federally mandated safety plan.

“This obstinate behavior not only violates the union’s contractual duties but also places in peril UTA’s ability to receive grants from the federal government,” the complaint reads.

The agency filed the lawsuit in Utah’s 3rd District Court. The union — known as Amalgamated Transit Union Local #382 — and the agency have squabbled over the required safety plan before: Last year, UTA alleged in a separate lawsuit that the labor group failed to cooperate on resolving issues as part of a joint safety committee.


(Rick Egan | The Salt Lake Tribune) A UTA TRAX train on 200 South, on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

Read more: https://www.sltrib.com/news/2026/05/24/utah-transit-authority-sues/