Watch CBS News

BART, Unions Hope To Resolve Labor Dispute Ahead Of August Deadline

OAKLAND (KCBS) — BART trains are running at full strength after last week's crippling strike, but with only a 30-day contract extension, state mediators have their work cut out for them.

The mediator continued to shuttle between BART and its unions on Monday, so when both sides sit down on Friday to resume negotiations, there can be some concrete discussions.

BART Workers Protest In Front of General Manager's Alameda Home

"We certainly feel we can reach a deal in that time. We're looking forward to starting to make progress right away and resolving this before the August 4th date," said BART Spokesman Rick Rice.

Leah Berlanga, the chief negotiator for SEIU Local 1021, said they don't want to wait 30 days to come to an agreement.

"We're going to keep the pace that we're on right now, which is pretty much doing this 24/7 and hopefully reaching an agreement way before the 30 days are up," Berlanga said.

Protesters gathered outside BART General Manager Grace Crunican's home in Alameda on Monday, as part of a week of actions meant to keep the worker's issues on the front burner.

(Copyright 2013 by CBS San Francisco. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.