WE Have the Power to Protect Jobs in Santa Cruz

There are moments when solidarity is tested.

This is one of those moments.

Friends of Santa Cruz METRO officially confirmed this week that the campaign will not meet the timeline necessary to place its transit funding measure on the November 2026 ballot. But the campaign itself is very much alive, and in many ways, stronger than ever.

The effort has already collected approximately 7,000 signatures entirely through volunteer labor, putting the campaign ahead of pace to qualify the measure within the full 180-day signature gathering window ending August 7.

That means the mission now is clear: SMART-TD members, transit advocates, riders, and working families still have the power to help secure the remaining 5,500 signatures needed to protect the future of Santa Cruz METRO and the union jobs that depend on it.

This fight did not end on May 11.

It simply entered a new phase.

The Math Is Simple and Powerful

The campaign needs approximately 12,500 valid signatures by August 7.

Roughly 7,000 signatures have already been gathered through grassroots volunteer efforts.

That means approximately 5,500 signatures remain.

Now break that down:

• More than 100 union jobs remain connected to the long-term future of this system.
• 5,500 signatures remain to be gathered.
• Every 55 valid signatures collected represents a brother/sister’s job protected.
• SMART-TD Local 23 has more than 250 active members.
• If every member collected just 22 signatures between now and August, the remaining goal will be reached.

That is achievable.

This campaign has already demonstrated something powerful. Working people can build a serious grassroots movement when they believe their community is worth fighting for.

The Stakes Have Not Changed

Without sustainable local funding, Santa Cruz METRO still faces the possibility of devastating operational cuts over the coming years.

Those cuts threaten service, routes, reliability, and the livelihoods of more than 100 SMART-TD members represented by Local 23.

These are operators and transit professionals who have dedicated themselves to serving Santa Cruz County through difficult years that included the COVID-19 pandemic, staffing shortages, inflation, and operational uncertainty.

Now they are fighting to protect the transit system they helped build.

And the need for that system has never been clearer.

According to Friends of Santa Cruz METRO, ridership is now at its highest level in more than a decade. Total ridership increased 42.5% from late 2024 to late 2025, while local non-student ridership surged by more than 86%.

The Youth Cruz Free program has also helped produce a staggering 500% increase in student ridership.

People are using transit because they need transit.

Working families need it.
Students need it.
Seniors need it.
People with disabilities need it.
And increasingly, working-class communities priced out by rising costs of living depend on it every single day.

This Is About More Than One Election

The reality is that qualifying for the November 2026 ballot became impossible because of timing constraints involved in Sacramento legislation and county election deadlines.

But that does not mean the measure failed.

Far from it.

In fact, the campaign is now positioned to qualify for the March 2028 primary election ballot or a special election if county leaders choose to act sooner.

That matters because we clearly have the public’s support.

Volunteers report overwhelmingly positive reactions from riders and residents. Many community members already understand that Santa Cruz METRO is an essential public service and that losing routes or reducing operations would hurt the entire county.

The mission now is to finish what was started.

What SMART-TD Members Can Do Right Now

This is the stage of a campaign where unions prove who they are.

Not through statements.
Not through slogans.
Through action.

SMART-TD members can help by:

• Volunteering at transit centers and community events.
• Encouraging registered Santa Cruz County voters to sign.
• Helping ensure signatures are complete, legible, and valid.

Get In The Fight

If every SMART-TD member treats these next three months as if the future of our union family depends on it (because it does), then this campaign is absolutely within reach.

If you want to get involved and help save jobs, please contact Friends of Santa Cruz Coordinator, Ella Beck, at (831) 471-7291. She can get you plugged in, get the correct petition in your hands, and help coordinate its return.

Sister Beck can be reached at ellamarevabeck@gmail.com or by phone at (831) 471-7291.

Accuracy Matters

Every valid signature brings the campaign one step closer to protecting service and preserving union jobs.

The New Deadline Is August 7

The pressure facing transit agencies across America is real.

But so is the solidarity inside SMART-TD.

The newest members of Local 23 joined this union because they believed in what their brothers and sisters had built in Santa Cruz over the past decade. Many changed careers and left previous employers because they believed this union movement was worth being part of.

And moments like this are when unions either reinforce that belief or lose it.

This Fight Is Winnable

The campaign is alive.
The support is real.
The momentum is still there.

Now comes the hard part: finishing the job.

So make the calls.
Take the petitions.
Talk to riders.
Talk to neighbors.
Talk to your coworkers.
Bring friends and family into the effort.

Because solidarity is not measured by what we say when things are easy.

It is measured by what we do when the fight gets harder.