Anthony Bongco/File

An AC Transit workers’ union and the AC Transit board came to a three-year contract agreement late Tuesday evening, about an hour before the union had threatened to go on strike.

After working for several months, the union’s negotiations committee reached a tentative agreement with the AC Transit Board that saved about 181,000 daily riders from having to find alternative modes of transportation. Negotiations resolved disagreements over health care premiums and salary increases that required financial compromises from both parties.

“I wanted a contract that was fair to the ATU workers,” said Sharon Cornu, a spokesperson for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192. “I think this contract reflects that.”

The agreement settled on a 9.5 percent wage increase for workers over the next three years. Originally, employees sought a 9.75 percent increase, and the transit agency was offering 9 percent.

“Wages have not kept up with the cost of living in the Bay Area,” said Yvonne Williams, president of ATU Local 192. “We’ve been behind for quite a while. But it’s an improvement, and we do need that improvement.”

In the last year of the previous contract, which expired June 30, workers had to allocate 3 percent of their salaries toward health care. Now, workers will pay the monthly flat rates of $70, $140 and $180 for the next three years, respectively. The union originally wanted $135 for the second year, and the board asked for $145.

Although the union had received previous salary increases, the money was allocated toward health care. However, there will now be in a net increase even after part of workers’ salaries is spent on health care.

Despite the agreements over health care and salaries, Cornu and several AC Transit bus drivers said that the lack of scheduled restroom and lunch breaks needs to be addressed.

“It’s probably the No. 1 safety issue,” said Drayland Davis, who has been an AC Transit bus driver for the past 15 years. “You try to run to the bathroom, and that’s only if you reach the end of your route early.”

According to Williams, the issue will be on the directors’ agenda next meeting.

Just last Sunday, Gov. Jerry Brown intervened to prevent another BART strike with a seven-day injunction against work stoppage. This incident, in conjunction with the BART strike on July 1, has made many Bay Area riders uncertain about finding transportation in the past month.

“We did not take the possibility of withholding service from public lightly,” Williams said. “That was more stressful than the negotiations process.”

The agreement will be presented to union members shortly, with a simple majority vote needed for ratification.

“I was quite pleased with the fact that this thing went with a whole of respect and relatively very little anger,” said Christian Peeples, who is on the AC Transit Board.

Contact Mary Zhou at mzhou@dailycal.org

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Alameda County Measure A1
Measure A1, which would have established a 25-year tax to raise money for the Oakland Zoo, did not receive the two-thirds supermajority it needed to pass. The measure would have established an annual $12 tax on residential properties and $72 on nonresidential properties.Not all the mail-in and absentee ballots have been counted, but the votes in favor of the bill currently stand at 62.75 percent.

The East Bay Zoological Society, which manages the zoo, previously warned that the zoo would be in trouble without the needed tax revenue.

The Friends of Knowland Park said the group was happy the measure did not pass because it would have allowed the zoo to expand its grounds.

“This is a victory for those who care about protecting our public spaces,” said Ruth Malone, the co-chair of Friends of Knowland Park.

Alameda County Measure B1
The race for Measure B1 is still too close to call. The measure would double Alameda County’s sales tax from a half-cent to a cent on the dollar to help pay for various transportation projects.

The polls currently have support for the measure at 65.63 percent, just below the required two-thirds supermajority. Mail-in and absentee ballots are still being counted.

Arthur Dao, the executive director of the Alameda County Transportation Commission, said he believes the measure will pass.

“As the remaining votes are tallied, we’re hopeful we’ll get some good news,” Dao said. “If it does pass, we’re going to bring transportation into the 21st century.”

Opponents of the measure say that it would hurt the poor by adding new taxes and punishing automobile drivers.

AC Transit Director At Large
Chris Peeples, a 14-year incumbent, defeated retired bus driver Dollene Jones for one of two at-large seats on the AC Transit Board. Peeples won more than 60 percent of the vote and said he wants to continue working on fuel-cell buses.

Peeples was in France on personal business when he found out about his victory.

“It felt very strange to be winning an election while I was 8,000 miles away,” Peeples said.

BART Board of Directors, District 3 and District 7
In District 3, UC Berkeley alumna Rebecca Saltzman beat two other candidates for a seat on the Board of Directors. In District 7, another alumnus, Zakhary Mallett, defeated incumbent Lynette Sweet and two other candidates.

Saltzman said she was “extremely excited” when she found out she won.

“I’ve been working all year for that,” Saltzman said.

Saltzman said she wants to focus on the backlog of badly needed BART maintenance, among other issues.

Likewise, Mallett said he was “pleasantly surprised” with the results.

“I want to be more aggressive about upgrading the access and passage infrastructure for passengers,” Mallett said.