Arya Aliabadi/File

AC Transit employees could strike this Thursday, following a 72-hour notice they issued Monday night.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192, a union that represents 1,760 bus operators, mechanics, dispatchers, clerical and allied workers at AC Transit, rejected a labor contract proposed by AC Transit. AC Transit union employees have already twice rejected proposed labor agreements.

On Tuesday, AC Transit’s board of directors asked Gov. Jerry Brown to impose a 60-day cooling-off period to stop AC Transit workers from striking, according to a press release from AC Transit. In a letter to Brown, AC Transit said the proposed strike would “significantly endanger the public’s health, safety and welfare.”

In early August, ATU Local 192 and AC Transit reached a tentative agreement on negotiations that included a wage increase of 9.5 percent over the next three years and monthly health care contributions of $70, $140 and $180, respectively, for each of the three years. However, the union rejected the contract.

“Like most Americans, our members lost substantial income during the great recession,” said ATU Local 192 President Yvonne Williams in an Oct. 2 press release by the union. “They are expressing concern about how this raise, after medical deductions, makes up for those past concessions.”

AC Transit spokesperson Clarence Johnson said that AC Transit has not received any requests from the union to change its proposal. There are no negotiations scheduled at this time, but he said there may be “at some point.”

“They rejected the contract, but they haven’t gotten back to us on what’s wrong with it,” Johnson said. “We’re kind of in the dark here on how to proceed with negotiations.”

ATU Local 192 workers transport about 200,000 passengers a day in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Of that number, Johnson said about 60,000 are schoolchildren.

BART union employees also threatened to strike on Tuesday, but they postponed the strike after deciding to continue negotiations that day. If an agreement is not met between unions and BART management, BART workers could go on strike this week.

In that case, 400,000 daily BART commuters could be left without transportation, in addition to the potentially 200,000 AC Transit riders on Thursday.

Tara Hurley covers city news. Contact her at thurley@dailycal.org.

The post AC Transit workers may strike on Thursday appeared first on The Daily Californian.

ATU Local 192, which represents 1,800 bus drivers and mechanics, gave notice on Monday of its intention to strike, which could leave AC Transit’s 181,000 daily riders without transportation. Employees’ contracts expired in late June, and negotiations have been ongoing for several weeks.

According to Clarence Johnson, manager of media affairs at AC Transit, both parties have been working to come to a solution and avoid service interruption. As the third-largest public bus system in California, an AC Transit strike is expected to cause much disruption as the BART strike last month did.

“Regrettably, our contingency plan involves simply no service,” Johnson said. “We cannot operate without drivers.”

Wage increases and contributions to health care have proved to be major issues in the negotiations. ATU members currently do not contribute to health coverage costs.

“We’re more than willing to pay,” said Yvonne Williams, president of ATU Local 192. “But we need a flat rate rather than a percentage, since we can’t control what that might escalate to.”

According to Johnson, the district wants ATU employees to contribute 10 percent of the cost of the monthly premiums, which would equal approximately $120 per pay period. The union’s flat rate would equal about $80 per pay period.

In a press conference on Tuesday morning, Johnson said that he is optimistic about preventing a strike, given the steady progress that has been made thus far.

“We started this weekend at $9 million dollars apart,” Johnson said. “We’re now only about $4 million apart as of last night. We are 1 percentage point apart in our wage proposals. We’re offering 9 percent; the union is seeking 10 percent. We’re moving in the right direction.”

According to Williams, however, the negotiations have been a “difficult process.” Although the union wishes to avoid a strike, it remains a possible outcome.

“Our goal is to avert a strike,” Williams said. “But we’re still intending to strike if we do not reach a collective bargaining agreement for our members for ratification.”

Contact Somin Park at sominpark@dailycal.org.

The post AC Transit employees may strike on Wednesday appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Alex Mousouris/Staff

BART and union officials announced that wage negotiations resumed at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, following BART employees’ strike beginning on Monday, which delayed thousands of Bay Area commuters.

As of Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., the strike is set to continue into Wednesday, with no indication of when negotiations will be resolved. In a press release Monday, BART called on union leaders to end the strike, while AC transit officials said they do not expect a strike on Wednesday.

“This strike is not necessary and we call on union leaders to end it and join us at the table so the Bay Area can get moving again,” said BART spokesperson Rick Rice in a press release on Monday. “We are prepared to negotiate the significantly improved proposal we delivered on Saturday.”

Negotiations have been ongoing for several months, with both parties unable to reach an agreement before employee contracts expired on Sunday night.

The inability to reach an agreement comes from the opposing parties’ inability to reach a consensus on what should be prioritized, with BART focusing on employees’ increasing pension and medical costs and unions focusing on employee safety.

Union leaders feel that their employees should be compensated for having stagnant wages since 2009. Another grievance that unions have is the lack of safety for their employees, citing the documented increased violence faced by BART employees over the last year.

Two of the unions that represent most of BART employees, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 and Service Employees International Union Local 1021, filed an unfair labor practices lawsuit against BART on June 24 under the allegation that BART management was unwilling to negotiate over employees’ safety.

Carlos Rivera, a spokesperson for SEIU 1021, said that he expected negotiations to be slow, which is why he thought it was necessary to warn commuters.

“We sincerely apologize for inconvenience to any Bay Area residents,” Rivera said on Monday. “We tried to make sure people knew ahead of time of alternate ways of travelling. We gave a 72-hour notice so that people could start making alternative plans.”

Because of the BART strike, many commuters found themselves trying to navigate the AC Transit system for the first time. Some bus lines, such as the F line or transbay line, had twice as many passengers as normal on Monday, according to Clarence Johnson, a spokesperson for AC Transit.

In a press release on Tuesday, AC Transit officials called ongoing negotiations with ATU a signal that they will be “providing bus service as usual” on Wednesday.

Extra AC Transit lines and early-morning shuttles were offered from the most congested areas, such as downtown Oakland and routes into San Francisco. AC Transit also ran six more trips than normal of the F line to account for additional passengers.

On Monday, Caltrans officials urged commuters to find alternate ways of getting to their destinations. There was heavy traffic all day on many of the major highways, with officials estimating an extra 60,000 vehicles on the road today.

Despite efforts to help commuters get to work, many found themselves either late or having to stay with a friend to avoid a difficult morning commute.

“It was just not knowing how crazy things would be today,” said Helen Jentzen, a UC Berkeley library employee. “I’d much rather stay overnight and make sure I have a way to get to work Monday morning as opposed to have to deal with any kind of craziness.”

However, many passengers who rely on BART to get to work found it unfair that they had to suffer due to the ongoing negotiations between BART management and its employees.

“My impression of the strike is that the labor contract is up, and the union is taking advantage of that by asking for higher wages,” said Suzi Ferguson, a UC Berkeley alumna who works at One Medical Group in San Francisco. “It’s a shame that they are holding a huge portion of the workforce hostage for this demand, especially in a time when jobs are not plentiful.”

Contact Jose Hernandez at jhernandez@dailycal.org.

The post No agreement reached after second day of BART strike appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Michael Tao and Tony Zhou/File

Following a failed last-minute attempt at negotiations, BART union representatives confirmed on Monday at midnight that there will be a workers’ strike, leaving over 400,000 daily commuters finding alternative means of transportation.

The contract for BART workers was up for renewal on Sunday evening at 11:59 p.m. Around 8:30 p.m., BART union leaders left the bargaining table, rejecting an offer of an 8 percent salary increase over the next four years. A strike by AC Transit workers is also imminent following a preliminary authorization vote. A strike by workers from one company could place a heavy burden on the other.

“The unions have not officially notified us that they are going on strike, but we think our riders need to be prepared for one,” said BART spokesperson Rick Rice.

According to the BART Labor News website, BART union workers are asking for a 23 percent increase in wages over three years as well as 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.

As of Sunday evening, BART had proposed solutions to a number of union demands, including pension reforms and two propositions regarding worker safety.

“BART is presenting an updated proposal on the offers on salaries, requests on pension, requests on benefits,” Rice said. “In addition, employees should start paying for a portion of their pensions.”

AC Transit workers are also negotiating their contract this week. According to Sharon Cornu, a spokesperson for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192, AC Transit union workers have voted 97.4 percent in favor of a strike regarding their own negotiations, but the union president has not yet confirmed a strike.

According to Cornu, the BART strike will also put a burden on AC Transit resources, and AC Transit may not have enough buses to accommodate displaced commuters.

Clarence Johnson, a spokesperson for AC Transit confirmed that if AC Transit workers did not strike next week, they would continue their existing bus routes.

Rachel Wilson, a sophomore at University of Michigan who is taking a summer class at UC Berkeley, takes BART from Orinda to Berkeley and is frustrated that the strikes could affect both AC Transit and BART.

“I am probably going to have to catch a ride from one of my parents into class, which will cut into their schedules,” Wilson said. “If the buses and the train go on strike at the same time, I am really in trouble.”

Berkeley residents who use BART or AC Transit can visit 511.org for further information on bus and ferry schedules and on forming carpools.

Executive news editor Shirin Ghaffary contributed to this report.

Contact Sophie Mattson at smattson@dailycal.org.

The post BART workers announce strike appeared first on The Daily Californian.

Alex Mousouris/Staff

AC Transit heard a proposal to replace its popular F line, which connects Berkeley to Emeryville, Oakland and San Francisco, at a meeting of its board of directors Wednesday.

The F line would be replaced with a shorter, more frequent line that would run on the south side of the UC Berkeley campus and bypass a busy corridor of the Emeryville commercial district, according to a report presented to a group of transbay passengers last week.

The new service, however, is a long way from being implemented. According to AC Transit spokesperson Clarence Johnson, the organization’s board of directors still needs to decide whether or not to proceed with the proposal. If it decides to proceed, AC Transit will hold a public hearing and several community meetings for public comment.

Johnson says the changes are “months away, if at all,” but he stressed the need to constantly re-evaluate the bus system.

“Living patterns and transportation patterns change over time,” Johnson said. “People want them to stay the same, but they don’t. We need to formulate something to address those changes, and that’s what the report does.”

Chris Peeples, AC Transit director at large, raised concerns that the proposed route, which would run through the Telegraph corridor into Oakland, is not an adequate replacement for the F line.

“They’re changing the route that covers a good bit of the polar areas of Berkeley,” Peeples said. “But from Shattuck to Market (in Oakland) is a lower-income area, so that gives me some concern.”

Peeples also wants to see a Title VI analysis on the proposal, referring to the 1964 federal legislation that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color or national origin. Johnson said an analysis would be conducted if the board moves forward with the proposal.

Berkeley resident Ken Niemi voiced concerns about the proposed route through Emeryville, which would bypass a popular commercial area.

“On weekends, I use (the F line) a lot to get to downtown Emeryville for shopping and entertainment,” Niemi said. “I use AC Transit for all my transportation needs. And there always seems to be a dozen or so Cal students going to Target or Ikea.”

Although the proposed transbay route would not reach the north side of the Berkeley campus, it would run more frequently than the F line.

“I don’t know how much more often these guys can actually stop,” said UC Berkeley student Nicole Morris, who uses the F line to commute from Oakland. “I would love an F that came more frequently.”

UC Berkeley students voted this spring to extend an agreement with AC Transit that provides unlimited rides to students for a semesterly fee. The agreement is set to continue through 2020.

Contact Chris Yoder at cyoder@dailycal.org. Follow him on Twitter @christiancyoder.

The post AC Transit considers proposal to cut popular F line bus route appeared first on The Daily Californian.

The decision will result in the groups contributing 10 percent of the cost of their monthly medical and dental insurance premiums and receiving one fewer paid holiday. Discussions regarding the budget process have been in the works for at least a year, according to Interim General Manager Mary King.

“I recommended the decision because it was the only way to live with our means and be sustainable,” King said.

The three groups affected by the actions include the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 1245; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, Local 3916; and unrepresented employees.

According to a statement released Friday, AC Transit will implement work schedule changes for IBEW, which represents approximately 25 electricians, electronic technicians and other specialists.

AFSCME — which consists of approximately 200 managers, professionals, supervisors, and administrative staff — will face wage reductions of 5 percent through June 30, 2013, for total district savings of about $5.8 million. Wages for unrepresented employees will also be cut by 5 percent, according to the statement.

“I don’t think that with a situation like this anyone leaves totally happy, but hopefully no one leaves completely upset either,” said AC Transit spokesperson Clarence Johnson. “It’s been clear not only with AC Transit but with organizations all over the country that given our economic times, labor groups to some extent will have to bear a bigger share of some of the financial burden, particularly in regard to health care costs and benefits.”

Johnson said that while the current contracts with the employee groups are set to last for two years, if there are state cuts to public transit, “there will be more talk about what can and needs to be done to keep us viable.”

Employees are not the only ones affected by the need to reduce costs. AC Transit fares were also raised Monday by a dime for single ride adult fare and a nickel for senior, disabled and youth fare. AC Transit Director at Large Chris Peeples said that the projected revenue from fare increases is $2.4 million for 2011 and 2012.

Peeples added that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is working on a transit sustainability project that may help AC Transit in future planning.

“Caltrain almost shut down, Muni, everyone’s got problems,” Peeples said. “It’s good that somebody is out there spending money on planning and looking at all that stuff. That is something that we at AC use to try and figure out what we’re going to be doing in the next 20 years.”

This is not the first time AC Transit and the district have taken steps to cut costs. According to the statement, bus service was reduced in March last year by 7.8 percent and a second time in October by 7.2 percent for total savings of over $21 million.

Additionally, more than 70 general and administrative staff positions as well as a third of the executive staff positions were eliminated. The board of directors also cut its salary by 5 percent, travel by 50 percent and eliminated a special travel account for transit advocacy.

“These are some very turbulent economic times,” Johnson said. “Public agencies like ours are looking for ways to reduce costs so we can continue to provide high levels of service. Any time we can do that is beneficial.”

The post AC Transit strikes agreement with employees, saves more than $7 million appeared first on The Daily Californian.