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Bay Area Rapid Transit might finally be nearing the end of its labor negotiations.



Less than two weeks after its board voted to ratify an agreement offered to Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 1555 and Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 790, BART Oct. 8 gave its best and final offer to American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) — which closely mirrors agreements SEIU and ATU ratified.



The offer comes in advance of a cooling-off period’s Oct. 15 expiration. Gov. Gray Davis ordered the cooling-off period July 30 after AFSCME threatened to strike.



Although exact details of the offer haven’t been released, BART General Manager Thomas Margro said in a prepared statement that AFSCME was offered the same wage package SEIU and ATU accepted. That four-year contract provides wage increases of 6 percent, 5 percent, 5 percent and 7 percent over the agreement’s duration, maintains all existing benefits with no increase in the $25 monthly employee contribution, and adds a 3.5 percent increase to the employee money-purchase plan.