In an effort to explain her side of the BART labor dispute that ended with a strike at 12:01 am Friday morning, BART’s general manager Grace Crunican wrote an open letter.
A Message from the BART General Manager Grace Crunican about Labor Dispute
Issues of Dispute
The issues of dispute in the breakdown between management and our unions are the same now as they have been during the last six months – no agreement on wages and critical work rules that drive daily scheduling, work assignments, use of technology and the ability of BART to adopt industry best practices.
Throughout, BART management has demonstrated a creative willingness to solve problems with our unions on pension and health care. We have been able to show savings while crafting acceptable solutions.
The issues that remain unresolved are not minor. We cannot get tired and give up. They get to the heart of BART’s need to function efficiently and economically.
The BART Board has offered a strong wage package which includes a 12% wage increase, but the work rule concessions are essential. Using computers instead of manually recording and transmitting information is essential in the technology age. Managers should not have to reach mutual agreement with unions on every day to day operational change that is a part of a past practice. This contract component costs tens of millions of dollars each year and guarantees paralysis.
A strike is not a solution. The issues in dispute must be resolved. The BART Board has said it would consider binding arbitration on the whole package – not just the work rules – because we do not have agreement on the salary increases. An impartial outside party would have to arbitrate an entire, interconnected labor package.
How Talks Broke Down
After six months of unproductive and frustrating talks characterized by the union demand for 20% plus salary increases, BART and it unions found common ground on health care and pension issues during the last three weeks. We agreed to participate in marathon bargaining with high ranking federal mediators that began Sunday, October 13.
The mediators informally offered a model which included an economic package coupled with work rule reforms and BART agreed. The unions grabbed the salary offer, but balked at the work rule changes. While BART and the mediators were still at the table, Union leaders announced a strike to the media. They offered to submit to binding arbitration on work rules and falsely announced an agreement on salary.
This union contract is about the future. The BART Board has shown great leadership over the last two years defining the investments necessary for an aging system by agreeing to an essential package of upgrades. A new fleet of train cars is under design with active public participation. A new train control system will allow us to run more trains to meet escalating rush hour demands. We need to expand our maintenance facilities to accommodate a new fleet of cars, and new service to San Jose, the Oakland Airport and eastern Contra Costa County. Our stations need upgrades for technology, energy efficiency and safety.
This contract must be informed by not only the needs of our unions but by the future needs of our riders. The stakes are sky-high but the solutions are within reach. The public needs the trains to run. We need a spirit of compromise from our unions.
-Grace Crunican
14 comments
Thanks for providing the update. It’s an unfortunate situation and the workers and unions are not considering, valuing or respecting their customers, the riders along with the rest of the commuters who drive to work but are affected by their petty issues.
I think they are being greedy, ungrateful and unrealistic. The rest of us in the working world haven’t received raises in 3+ years, our medical benefits increase, we pay more into our pension plans, etc. Why do they think that they should have more than the average worker? There are many unemployed people that would love and appreciate working for BART.
Perhaps we need the governor or courts to get involved and settle out of the public arena and without the public being affected?
It’s craziness, frustrating and actually very annoying to say the least! Arrrgh!
You all should be fired and hire new people. Both sides need to bend a little. Meanwhile we are being inconvienced, not either side. BART is the ONLY transportation for some people and you don’t send the buses to the ends of the lines, namely Baypoint. Get it together and settle it now. I hope Gov. Brown would pass legislation making it illegal for mass transit to strike!
Much better response than the one Grace gave live but still is an inaccurate portrayal of the situation.
California Labor Movement Stands in Solidarity with Workers in Fight for Fair Contract
Statement by California Labor Federation Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Art Pulaski
“For any union, going on strike is a last resort. After marathon negotiations in recent days that produced considerable progress, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) management pulled the rug out from under workers by demanding changes to workplace rules that protect workers from a range of abuses, including sexual harassment. The unions even agreed to arbitration to settle the remaining disputes on workplace issues, an offer that was flatly denied by management. As a result, BART workers were left with no other choice but to go on strike this morning.
“BART workers repeatedly made concessions on economic proposals in recent weeks with the goal of averting a strike, even as management refused to bargain in good faith. It’s a travesty that even after workers made those concessions, management decided to move the goal posts in the 11th hour. This has not been a fair process to the hardworking women and men of BART from the beginning.
“Today’s strike was not an outcome workers wanted. But it was the only outcome management would allow. The California labor movement will continue to support BART workers in their fight for a fair contract. We urge BART management to quickly negotiate a fair settlement that allows workers to get back to doing what they’ve done for years — serving the Bay Area community with professionalism, dedication and commitment.”
I think a lesson could be learned from the air traffic controller’s strike in 1981…http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0808/12292.html
But Gracie dear, what happened to all the weeks that there were no discussions? This should have been settled before June 30th. You, Tom Hock and the board played games and bad mouthed the employees from day one. You all should be ashamed of yourselves. Don’t know how any of you sleep at night. Oh, I guess it’s easier at over $300,000.00 in wages. Just remember that KARMA is a bitch and all of you will get yours in the end.
Joanne; Keep living in your lie. I have not heard one word from management bad mouthing you greedy people. No one believe you accept your fellow workers.
These Bart employees are the most arrogant greedy people I have seen in my life and I’m way older than most of them.
Bart employees have a monopoly. You know once this is settled everyone will be back riding BART. This is a perfect example of why government employees shouldn’t be allowed to unionize or strike.
Bart Management needs to hold the line. Give the employees a 72 hour notice if they strike or consider their jobs abandoned. Bart can hire new people from the hundreds of thousands who are unemployed and would beg to have a job at Bart. Heck they get $70,000 for a janitor plus benefits. Who would pass up that job? This is nonsense and Bart management needs to get new employees that value the public and their job.
ECV’s brother,
Things cannot be done that way. You jealous and purposely ignorant amongst other things.
*You are
Joann….Go to Hell…hire people who wan to work, and we have plenty of them
I did not mean Joann sorry, I meant to say Grace Crunican
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