Local News

OAKLAND (BCN) ― Three state mediators entered BART's slow-moving contract talks with its labor unions Friday in hopes of helping the two sides reach an agreement before the deadline at midnight Tuesday.

Jean Hamilton, the president of Local 3993 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which represents about 200 middle managers, said she thinks that the mediation is "a very positive step."

Hamilton said, "We hope we can reach a fair and equitable resolution and avoid a strike."

BART spokesman Linton Johnson said the mediators have spent most of Friday getting up to speed on the issues in the contract negotiations, which began on April 1, but he said he hopes that progress can be made starting with talks Friday night.

Johnson said the mediators will shuttle proposals back and forth between BART's management and its three largest unions.

He said the mediators' system "allows people to talk freely" and he hopes it "will expedite the process."

BART carries about 360,000 passengers a day on weekdays. Bay Area transportation officials say a strike by BART employees would create a traffic nightmare for commuters.

Members of AFSCME Local 3993, Local 1555 of the Amalgamated Transit Union and Local 1021 of the Service Employees International Union voted by overwhelming margins this week to authorize a strike if a contract agreement isn't reached by Tuesday night.

ATU Local 1555 represents about 900 train operators, station agents and power workers and SEIU Local 2021 represents about 1,200, mechanics, custodians, safety inspects and clerical employees.

Two smaller unions also are in the midst of negotiations with BART management.

The BART Police Managers Association represents sergeants, lieutenants and commanders and the BART Police Officers Association represents rank-and-file officers.

However, members of the police unions are barred from going on strike.
Hamilton said, "We do not want a strike."

She said the possibility of a strike "is dependent on the district's actions," referring to management's actions during contract talks.

But Johnson said the decision on whether to have a strike is up to the unions, saying, "It's all on them."

He said, "Make no mistake, it's their decision."

The unions must give 72 hours notice before going on strike.

Johnson said, "My eye is on Saturday night" because if the unions decide to begin a strike on Wednesday morning, immediately after the current contract expires, they must give notice by midnight Saturday.

Hamilton said on June 10 that employees sent a letter to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asking him to consider ordering a 60-day cooling-off period because negotiations were running behind schedule.

But Hamilton said Friday that the unions haven't made a formal request for a cooling-off period.

"We can talk beyond June 30 (Tuesday) without a cooling-off period," she said.

Earlier Friday month BART directors sent a letter to the governor asking him to reject any requests for a cooling-off period.

Johnson agreed with Hamilton that talks could continue past Tuesday without a cooling-off period or a contract extension.

He said that's what happened during the previous round of negotiations in 2005.

Talks went past June 30 that year and an agreement was reached six days later, at 3 a.m. on July 6, 2005, narrowly averting a strike that was set to begin two hours later.

BART's board of directors, which must approve any agreement that's reached, have scheduled meetings at least once a day between now and Tuesday night in order to comply with the state's open meeting law, which requires several days notice before meetings are held.

In an indication that a settlement isn't imminent, the meeting for Saturday has been canceled.

Johnson said the meeting for Sunday probably will be canceled as well.

However, meetings are still scheduled for Monday and Tuesday.

BART management is asking for $100 million in concessions from employee unions over the next four years because the transit district is facing a projected $250 million budget deficit over that period.

But Johnson said on Wednesday that union negotiators are asking for a 3-percent pay raise over the next two years.

Hamilton Friday accused Johnson of improperly leaking information to the news media and said "press leaks have had a very negative impact" on talks.

She said the state mediators have now ordered both sides not to talk about the details of the negotiations. Johnson agreed that the details are now "confidential."

The contract talks are being held at a building at 2201 Broadway in downtown Oakland.

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