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Rail News: Passenger Rail
8/12/2009
Rail News: Passenger Rail
One union OKs, another rejects BART's contract proposal
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On Monday, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) received good news and bad news on the labor contract front. Members of Service Employees International Union (SEIU), BART’s largest union, voted to approve a tentative agreement, but members of the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), the agency’s second-largest union, rejected a tentative pact.
The four-year SEIU contract — which was approved by 75 percent of voting members — “preserves base salaries” while still achieving the union’s share of $100 million in labor cost savings sought by the transit agency over the next four years, BART officials said in a prepared statement.
The four-year ATU pact, which also would have preserved base salaries, was a fair contract proposal, BART officials believe.
“Throughout four months of negotiations, BART offered a menu of choices that far exceeded the $100 million, four-year labor cost savings target that the BART board set in hopes of reaching an agreement that was acceptable to union members, while achieving the board’s goal amid one of the worst economic recessions on record,” said BART Board President Thomas Blalock.
The board plans to schedule a special meeting to consider options with the ATU, including the implementation of employment terms and conditions until a new agreement is reached.
The four-year SEIU contract — which was approved by 75 percent of voting members — “preserves base salaries” while still achieving the union’s share of $100 million in labor cost savings sought by the transit agency over the next four years, BART officials said in a prepared statement.
The four-year ATU pact, which also would have preserved base salaries, was a fair contract proposal, BART officials believe.
“Throughout four months of negotiations, BART offered a menu of choices that far exceeded the $100 million, four-year labor cost savings target that the BART board set in hopes of reaching an agreement that was acceptable to union members, while achieving the board’s goal amid one of the worst economic recessions on record,” said BART Board President Thomas Blalock.
The board plans to schedule a special meeting to consider options with the ATU, including the implementation of employment terms and conditions until a new agreement is reached.
