BART Labor Negotiations.

Business/News Editors & Transportation Writers

OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 2001

BART and the five unions, which represent over 3,000 transit district employees, are currently negotiating new contracts to replace those which expire at midnight, June 30.

BART began negotiations in March. The current contracts were for four years beginning July 1, 1997.

BART Board President, Willie B. Kennedy, today praised the transit district's employees as highly dedicated to providing the best possible service each and every day for the systems' riders. "The men and women who keep the trains running on a daily basis are our largest investment and they provide a valuable service to the public."

Kennedy said that BART's goal in the negotiations is two-fold: To provide a fair and equitable wage and benefit package for the system's employees and to preserve the ability to serve our customers well by maintaining financial stability in an increasingly uncertain economy. With ridership now averaging 335,000 trips each weekday, maintaining the financial ability to continue investing in the system-wide renovation program and ensure continued reliable service to our customers in the years ahead has never been more critical. BART's $1.5 billion renovation program is now approximately 50% complete and will replace all of the existing fare equipment and renovate the original fleet of 439 rail cars among many other important projects.

Over the past two years, service has been expanded and employees added to serve the growing ridership.

"As contract talks with our unions progress we want to assure the riding public that BART will be working hard to bring about a smooth transition into new contracts at the earliest possible time," Kennedy said. She said BART will keep the public informed of developments as they occur during the collective bargaining process.

The five unions representing BART employees are the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), Local 1555 representing about 806 station agents and train operators; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), Local 3993 representing approximately 271 supervisory and professional personnel; the BART Police Managers Association (BPMA) representing 39 middle management sworn officers, BART Police Officers Association (BPOA), representing 228 sworn officers, revenue guards and community service assistants; and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Local 70 representing 1,737 maintenance, professional and clerical workers. The total number of employees represented by bargaining units at BART is 3,081.