SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) -- A Superior Court judge issued an injunction in Santa Clara County Wednesday afternoon, ending the three-week-old Valley Transportation Authority strike. The judge cited a no-strike ordinance clause in the contract that the VTA had with the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 2 65, which represents 1,500 VTA workers. "The Superior Court judge issued an injunction ordering striking ATU employees back to work immediately," the VTA said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The VTA argued that the union cannot strike because a past contract, which expired on March 3, did not allow it in its clauses. The union representatives disagreed, saying that the contract is expired, and the union is no longer bound by the no-strike clause. The union voted on Monday to reject VTA’s latest offer of an 11 percent raise over the next three years. Eighty-three percent of the union voted no. Wednesday was the second time both sides appeared before the Superior Court judge. Earlier this month, the VTA asked the judge for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the strike and force workers to head back to work. At the time, the judge denied the TRO request. The VTA reached out to California Governor Gavin Newsom on March 15 to ask him to step in for an “intervention and fact-finding investigation.” The governor declined to intervene, instead calling on the parties to return to the bargaining table to reach an agreement. ATU Local 265 has been seeking a 6 percent raise over three years, totaling 18 percent. ...read more read less