BART Resumes Talks With Largest Union 1 Month Before Deadline
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — BART and its largest union resumed negotiations in an ongoing labor dispute Monday, halfway through a 60-day cooling off period. But both sides remained far apart as the deadline approaches.
Gov. Jerry Brown ordered a cooling-off period last month to keep the trains running. Workers could go on strike if there is no resolution by October 10th. In July, BART employees walked off the job for four days.
On August 10th, one day before the cooling off period began; BART issued what it called its final offer. The transit agency proposed a 10 percent raise and a four percent pension contribution over the next four years.
BART And Its Largest Union To Resume Labor Contract Talks
Antonette Bryant of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 said management's proposal is misleading.
"We've not had a raise since 2008, so it's actually not a 10 percent raise. Not only that they have employee giveback contributions that they want out of that 10 percent, which would mean there's a percentage of our membership that would in fact be in the negative," she said.
When that offer was made, BART spokesperson Rick Rice told KCBS they would continue to work.
"We've put an offer on the table that we need to hear back about," he said.
Bryant said the union will not present its members an offer that doesn't also address its other issues.
"They've only made a wage offer and a medical offer. We have other proposals on the table that have yet to be addressed. Most importantly our safety proposals," Bryant said.
ATU will meet with BART again on Tuesday. After that, the next major negotiations are scheduled to take place on the 17th.
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