Alex Mousouris/Staff

A BART strike has once again been averted — this time until Oct. 10 — following a court-ordered cooling-off period requested by Gov. Jerry Brown and granted Sunday.

The order, given by a San Francisco Superior Court judge, will last 60 days and is intended to alleviate some of the pressure that has characterized negotiations between BART workers and administrators in recent weeks.

The order states that BART unions are now forbidden from striking because a strike, or even the threat of a strike, poses public health and safety risks.

BART unions and administrators are expected to continue negotiations during the cooling-off period in hopes that a contract can be settled before the period expires. If the Oct. 10 deadline passes, BART unions will be authorized to strike, as the governor can only call for one cooling-off period.

“BART is grateful San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow has granted Governor Brown’s request for a 60 day cooling off period, ensuring BART trains will continue to run while the District seeks fair and financially sustainable contract agreements with its unions,” said BART spokesperson Rick Rice in a statement.

The injunction follows a seven-day cooling-off period ordered by Brown last Sunday while an appointed board investigated the facts and positions of parties in the dispute.

The board’s report, published Saturday, found that a strike by BART workers — like the four-day strike in July — would cause “significant harm to the public’s health, safety, and welfare.”

“Were the unions to strike at the end of the 7-day cooling off period, the resulting increased congestion would result in an increase in traffic accidents,” the report states. “It would also result in slower response times by emergency personnel responding to those accidents, as well as other public emergencies.”

The report also notes that the parties involved in the dispute are still far from an agreement.

“The parties do not agree on the magnitude of the gap in their respective economic proposals,” the report states. “Other specific unresolved issues are the unions’ proposals for increased workplace safety measures and BART’s proposals for increased rights regarding workforce management.”

Jacob Brown is a news editor. Contact him at jbrown@dailycal.org.

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At the request of BART administration, Brown appointed the three-person board, saying in a statement that a strike would “significantly disrupt public transportation services and will endanger the public’s health, safety, and welfare.” State law forbids any strike or lockout while the board finishes its investigation.

The board’s investigation will include the facts of the dispute and the respective positions of the parties but will not contain recommendations. The report will be made available to the public.

”The board is directed to provide me with a written report within the next seven days,” Brown said in the statement. “For the sake of the people of the Bay Area, I urge — in the strongest terms possible — the parties to meet quickly and as long as necessary to get this dispute resolved.”

The planned strike would have been the second this summer, following the expiration of a 30-day temporary agreement after July’s five-day strike. On Thursday, BART unions gave 72-hour notice of a strike that would begin Monday morning if a contract agreement was not reached between BART and BART unions Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555.

In July, negotiations focused on wage increases for BART workers and the ability to pay into their own pensions. The unions have also requested better security to protect themselves from violence on the job and general improvements such as better lighting on the tracks.

BART leaders said they opposed a strike, saying it unnecessarily harmed passengers.

“As we saw in early July, the effect of a public transit strike is a complete disruption of the Bay Area economy,” said BART President Tom Radulovich in a letter to Brown asking for a cooling-off period. “We believe the public should not be deprived of this essential public service unless all alternatives to prevent a work stoppage have been utilized.”

But union leaders, such as Pete Castelli, executive director of SEIU 1021, said that although BART employees and administration share the common goal of avoiding a strike, he is dissatisfied with BART’s management of the negotiations — especially the administration’s choice to hire Thomas Hock, a $400,000 outside consultant.

Hock left negotiations earlier this month to go on vacation and has only recently returned.

Union negotiators were informed of Hock’s availability ahead of negotiations, said BART spokesperson Rick Rice.

“Mr. Hock is an experienced negotiator, and the district has faith that he’ll get us through to a good contract this time,” he said.

Contact Jacob Brown and Madeleine Pauker at newsdesk@dailycal.org.

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Alex Mousouris/Staff

BART unions gave 72-hour notice of a strike Thursday night that will begin Monday morning if an agreement is not reached between BART employees and administration.

The 30-day contract extension between labor unions Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, established after the July strike, will expire Sunday night and may lead to another strike if negotiations before then are unsuccessful.

“We are very disappointed and hope they reconsider their options,” said BART spokesperson Rick Rice in a press release Thursday. “A strike only stalls and delays the decisions that need to be made while using our riders as pawns.”

In an interview Thursday, he said that the end of the contract on Sunday does not guarantee a strike.

“We can continue talking Monday,” he said. “There’s really no reason for a strike and no hard, fast rule there has to be a strike. We are hoping to reach an agreement at the table and not throw the Bay Area into chaos again.”

Pete Castelli, executive director of SEIU 1021, said that although BART employees and administration share the common goal of avoiding a strike, he is dissatisfied with BART’s management of the negotiations — especially the administration’s choice to hire Thomas Hock, a $400,000 outside consultant.

Hock left negotiations earlier this month to go on vacation and has only recently returned.

“Frankly, on the big issues, we’ve done very little bargaining, and the blame lies squarely at the feet of the BART administration for allowing this outside consultant to not take it seriously,” Castelli said.

Union negotiators were informed of Hock’s availability ahead of negotiations, Rice said.

“Mr. Hock is an experienced negotiator, and the district has faith that he’ll get us through to a good contract this time,” he said.

Castelli said that negotiators have not yet reached an agreement that benefits BART workers.

“Right now, a worker that makes $52,000 a year would lose $2,000 if we take the current proposal on the table,” he said. “We haven’t had a raise in four years.”

Contact Madeleine Pauker at mpauker@dailycal.org.

Correction(s):
A previous version of this article misspelled Rick Rice’s last name.

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Alex Mousouris/Staff

BART officials and worker unions reached a temporary agreement Thursday night that will extend current contracts for workers for 30 days, signaling the end of a four-day strike.

The BART transit system resumed service at 3 p.m. on Friday.

However, contract negotiations between BART and its unions have not yet been resolved and will continue until an agreement is made.

“Despite lots of hard work, BART and its unions have failed to come to an agreement on contract issues that matter to all of us today and into the future,” said Grace Crunican, BART general manager. “We still have a wide gap of disagreements to bridge over the next 30 days.”

Leo Ruiz, a foreworker representative for BART union Amalgamated Transit Union 1555, said he hopes that an agreement will be made between BART and the unions.

“We’re hoping that the district BART will negotiate in good faith,” Ruiz said. “If they do, we should have no problem coming to a resolution.”

Cynthia Ramirez, who works at Peet’s Coffee & Tea in the Downtown Berkeley BART station, said she was concerned about getting paid for the days she could not work during the strike when the station was closed.

“We don’t know if we’re going to get paid for that, so that’s how (the strike) affected us,” Ramirez said.

Despite the potential losses faced by Peet’s Coffee & Tea from the strike, supervisor Helen Slomowitz expressed support for the BART workers’ cause.

“In my opinion, it’s good,” Slomowitz said. “It wasn’t good for the passengers … but for the BART (workers), I think that it’s fair to fight what they deserve.”

An additional strike has not been planned at this time and will not be necessary if an agreement is made, according to Ruiz.

“It all depends on BART (administration) — it is on them,” Ruiz said. “We didn’t want to strike in the first place.”

Jennie Yoon is the assistant news editor. Contact her at jyoon@dailycal.org.

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If you haven’t been affected by the BART strike, you obviously don’t live in the Bay Area. From all the politics behind the BART system — and even our AC Transit system — the whole East Bay and San Francisco are basically reeling. It’s absolute chaos. While the BART employees have a valid argument, what about the needs of UC Berkeley students who made important summer commitments so that this world doesn’t have to be a screwed-up place? Or what about the necessary commuting needs of Bay Area citizens who have lower incomes than our BART drivers, you may wonder? Good questions. Here at the Daily Clog, we’re asking ourselves the same thing. We wonder if they’ve considered the serious impact that unsettled pay-raise decisions would have on our disabled community members, professionals and the rest of the general population. Undoubtedly, it’s gotten incredibly dangerous. Until things become a little more orderly, here are some tips to help you survive the BART apocalypse:

Give yourself more time. Sadly, there’s pretty much no way around it. The buses are packed, a boat would probably take just as long — or longer — and good luck waiting in a car for a few good moments just to pay the toll. If you’ve made important summer commitments, save yourself the stress and take responsibility. Maybe consider waking up an hour or two earlier than you usually do. After experimenting for one day, you should get a feel for when is an appropriate time to leave for work. Depending on how considerate your boss is, consider this an opportunity that shows him or her that you are a committed and hardworking employee or volunteer.

Make sure your phone is charged. This is an appropriate time to do all that Facebook scrolling and gaming. You could potentially be waiting half an hour or more than an hour. Don’t make it torture. Entertain yourself instead! Maybe even get in that luxury reading you’ve been wanting to do during the regular school year. However, making sure that your phone is charged always ensures your safety. It’s seriously crazier on the streets. Your cellphone is an important tool just in case something unfavorable happens.

Keep your wallet in your front pocket. We’re broke enough as it is, y’all. With being forced to be squished next to someone that you don’t know, make sure you know where all the belongings that you care about are. There are so many distractions on our buses, and there are thieves who know this. Be your own responsible best friend, and protect your belongings. Let’s just say that once it’s gone, you’ll probably never see that item again.

Ditch the heels. We all know this: Everyone wants a seat. And we mean everyone. Chances are that you’re going to be doing some serious standing and some serious walking. By the end of this strike, you’re going to know a whole bunch of street names and bus lines that you never knew about before. But don’t ruin your feet in the process! We’re for the pumps as much as the next guy, but consider comfort and practicality. Snug sneakers can make your bus commute so much easier.

Vent. Yes. We’re all stressed: BART drivers, AC Transit drivers, MUNI drivers and then the rest of us. If you have any friends or family members who also may be having a hard time getting around the Bay Area, or if you have friends or family members who are concerned about what’s happening to our public transportation, don’t be afraid to let it out! Don’t keep your emotions bottled up — you never know when you’re going to explode on an innocent person. Letting your feelings out can be therapeutic and can relieve serious stress. Venting is a good way to connect with others and maybe even get more tips on how to avoid skin-to-skin contact with strangers and traffic.

Consider that this is also an opportunity for us to cooperate as an entire Bay Area community. Times are tough, and everyone is having a hard time, so don’t feel like someone up there targeted you to make your life worse. Plan accordingly, and consider that having a positive attitude and outlook on this current situation can make your commute easier and more comfortable. It’ll just be another part of your day.

Any tips on how to avoid the chaos from the shut-down BART system? Let us know in the comments!

Image source: aaron_anderer under Creative Commons

Contact Karen Kwaning at kkwaning@dailycal.org.

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The strike is in its third day, and BART and union officials have yet to agree on a compromise in wage negotiations. As the BART strike severely restricts the flow of public transit, here are some transportation alternatives to know to ease your daily commutes.

BART

Free parking in lots during strike

Casual carpooling spots for commuters

Free transbay shuttles:

• West Oakland station shuttles to SF from 5 to 9 a.m. (reverse trips 3 to 7 p.m.)
• El Cerrito, Walnut Creek, Dublin/Pleasanton, Fremont stations to SF, 5 to 8 a.m. (reverse trips to 3 to 7 p.m.)

AC Transit

Extra F line buses

CalTrain

Service throughout the Peninsula to San Jose and Gilroy

San Francisco Bay Ferry

Alameda Main Street to SF Ferry Building every 45 minutes

Oakland’s Jack London Square to SF Ferry Building, weekday peak commute hours every 45 minutes

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