Unions Reach Deal with BART

Unions Announce Fair and Equitable Resolution with BART Management on Disputed Labor Contract Provision

The Bay Area Rapid Transit District’s largest unions, SEIU 1021 and ATU 1555, announced December 21 that a tentative agreement had been reached with BART Management’s negotiators on a disputed contract provision on paid family medical leave.

SEIU 1021 BART Chapter President John Arantes said, “It’s a fair resolution that would close months of drawn out contract talks and—in the interest of the riding public—end the uncertainty caused by the Board’s removal of a section from our final, complete contract.”

A tentative agreement between BART and the unions was reached on October 21 and ratified by ATU and SEIU membership on November 1. On November 21, the BART Board of Directors voted to approve a contract that did not have a provision on family medical leave that BART’s chief negotiator Thomas Hock, Assistant General Manager Paul Oversier, and Labor Relations Manager Rudy Medina bargained and signed with its unions.

“BART Management has been adamant in their admission of a mistake and how they’ve handled the situation,” Arantes continued, “and, in the past few days, we’ve had the opportunity to have meaningful discussion and resolve some of our differences at the bargaining table. We’d also like to thank Greg Lim, from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, who returned to provide valuable assistance.”

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 President Antonette Bryant noted that, “We negotiated in good faith for seven months. We have been outraged that BART management would hold the Bay Area riders hostage like this. We expect the BART Board will now do its part and do what they should have done all along—approve this contract. Once they do, we will ask our members to ratify it as well. We are pleased to have an agreement.

“I am proud and grateful for the support of our membership. ATU members never wavered in the face of BART management lies, misstatements, and management’s desire to destroy our ability to bargain in good faith. We look forward to collaborating with the entire community to grow our regional economy in a way that supports families and our shared future.”

Des Patten, SEIU 1021 Professional Chapter President, said the union’s ability to address the disputed provision, “resulted from BART Management’s negotiators sharing the unions’ commitment to bargain fairly and equitably. That’s the way to fix problems, and the way we hope BART Management and the BART Directors would move forward from now on, so that they can restore the lost trust from the riders and from their workers.”

Bryant added that now that all parties have agreed to modifications of the agreement, “The ATU holds out hope that today’s agreement can end the vitriol and mischaracterizations made by BART’s management and elected leadership about its union workforce.”

Jan 2014