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Members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 -- BART's second-biggest union, representing around 900 train operators, cranky station agents, and other assorted power workers -- voted 100% against management's proposed contract yesterday. The contract they hated so much? It called "for wage freezes for three years and a 0.75 percent increase in the fourth year." Pretending to care, Gov Arnold growled, "I urge the parties to continue bargaining and to successfully reach an agreement without any strikes, lock-outs or other job actions...The public expects that the parties will remain at the bargaining table until an agreement is reached." Does this mean that BART will finally -- finally! -- go on strike? Who knows. But it sure is an insufferable tease to MSM outlets who could use some sweet traffic gold during these summer months. Anyway, BART spokesperson Linton Johnson said, according to BCN, that he "expects negotiations to continue in a week or sooner."
Striketease: BART's Second-Largest Union Votes Against Contract
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Looks like those OaklandIST restaurant or whatever people are butthurt about not being blogged about
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In this economy, you expect a wage increase? Are they in la la land?
My understanding is that There has been no wage increase since the last contract negotiations, four years ago. Both sides agreed to that contract with the understanding that an increase could be negotiated with the next contract (now). Another three year freeze would have those employees working under wages from seven years ago. That's an awfully big concession to make, right?
Agreed. No wage increase for 3 years doesn't sound great - but given that I (and many others have received a 20% paycut and cost of living is declining, simply maintaining your income is a de facto increase in income. I like unions, but the sense of entitlement here is galling.
No offense, but your personal situation is absolutely irrelevant here. I can't believe how many posts I've seen here that are something along the lines of, "Well, I was laid off from my tech/admin/whatever job so these people in this completely different situation/industry with different demand/training/etc attached to it should take what they're given and consider themselves lucky for it!"
What's not irrelevant is the current economy and BART's financial outlook. Based on those, I'm guessing the finalized contract will look more like a wage freeze for a couple years with a 2% and 1% increase, which, for a 4 year contract and (even with a decline) around 3% CoL increases in the Bay Area each year and BART promoting half a billion in low-need low-demand projects like the Oakland Airport extesnion while crying poverty, doesn't strike me as particularly outrageous.
Given that BART workers (esp. station agents) are amongst the most highly paid transit workers in both the Bay Area and the country (even more than NYC, a FAR more expensive place to live), they should be damn well happy they haven't had wage rollbacks.
I'm tired of my tax dollars being taken to pay for these clowns. Sitting around all day in a ticket booth is not a $65,000 per year plus blaoted pension/benefits job.
Voted 100%? Sounds like the elections Saddam Hussein used to have in Iraq. I'm guessing this wasn't a private ballot, unless they're 100% stupid.
What do men who have sex with men have to do with the BART strike? Are there a lot of semi-anonymous, self-closeted trysts happening on the trains that I'm not aware of or something?