We're facing yet another midnight deadline tonight in the ongoing strike threat, the third in a row since Friday, and BART management have apparently presented their best and "final" offer to the unions as of yesterday.
That offer, we now know, includes a 3% annual pay raise (up from the 2% offered in June, for a total of 12% by the end of this contract), but BART workers will have to pay 4% more into their pensions, and 9.5% more into their health premiums.
BART manager Grace Crunican, who had been refusing to sit at the negotiating table beside negotiators, says this effort is "trying to bring this [strike threat] to a close... It's been long enough." BART is giving the unions two weeks to bring the offer to a vote of their members.
Union leaders say that the "best and final" offer needs to be rescinded and was harmful to the negotiating process.
Once again, be aware of your alternate transit options for the a.m., which could include limited Transbay tube service, driven by managers who were formerly operators.
[ABC 7]
[Mercury News]
