Home Contra Costa County Glazer Sounds Alarm as BART Provides $1,000 Bonuses, Despite Claim of Poverty

Glazer Sounds Alarm as BART Provides $1,000 Bonuses, Despite Claim of Poverty

by ECT

Walnut Creek, CA – BART is in a financial crisis with capital needs estimated at $9.6 billion, yet it gave out $1,000 bonuses to the transit system’s 3,357 employees, as reported in today’s San Francisco Chronicle’s “Matier and Ross” column.

The 2013 employee contract tied the bonuses to ridership numbers. It is likely that additional $1,000 bonuses will be given again on July 1, 2016.

“This is an outrageous giveaway of taxpayer money by a transit system that is billions of dollars in capital debt,” said Senator Steve Glazer (D – Orinda).

“This secret bonus is on top of the 15.4% raises that BART gave to all workers and managers in its last contract.

‘Moreover, these bonuses aren’t tied to any performance metrics – which is probably obvious to all riders, given the packed and dirty trains, maintenance breakdowns and constant delays.

“And, they came from an agency that claims it has no money for new trains, track upgrades and technology improvements.

“BART continues to pay out millions of dollars in pay and benefits from one pocket, while claiming that it has no money for system improvements in the other pocket.”

glazer-letter-BARTSen. Glazer, Assm. Catharine Baker, and 38 local Supervisors, Mayors, and Councilmembers recently wrote a letter to the BART Board of Directors and employee unions raising strong concerns about a potential multi-billion dollar bond that the Board is considering for the November 2016 ballot.

The letter noted that convincing two-thirds of Bay Area voters is already an uphill fight, but the 2013 strike by BART unions, drawn-out contract negotiations, and wage concessions for workers and management also seriously damaged voters’ trust in BART.

To regain that trust and the voters’ support of new taxes, Sen. Glazer and the other signers implored the BART Board and employee unions to negotiate – before the 2016 elections – a new contract that will take into account the dire fiscal needs of the system and ensure that trains keep running on schedule.

The new contract would come into effect after the existing contract sunsets in 2017.

The following was a Press Release issue by the Senator Steve Glazer

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5 comments

Mike Hunt Mar 23, 2016 - 10:01 am

Riding in a Bart train is like sitting in a porter-potty with wheels going 80 mph down the freeway. The only difference is that the porter-potty smells better.

Victor Mar 23, 2016 - 12:50 pm

The bonus is tied in to ridership levels of the core system, and sales tax revenue, we made the bonus in part if not all of the success of the Golden State Warriors.Their Championship run and their fans attending theirvictory parade! Front line workers played a major part in the success of BART. Our 35 plus year old system carries over 400,000 riders per day with an 90% on time rating. Steve Glazer is nothing but a parasite, continually attacking BART workers and desperately trying to remain relevant as he is up for reelection!

Ken Mar 30, 2016 - 10:27 am

Victor,

You have your head where the sun “don’t” shine. The employees have nothing to do with the increase in ridership. Bonuses are supposed to be awarded based on an individual’s performance. This is just another grievous giveaway to the unions and financial mismanagement by the Board.

Unome Mar 23, 2016 - 5:06 pm

Thanks Glazier for helping expose BART wasteful spending. Now please stop the union strikes. No public employees should be able to strike. You choose a public service job. You should be loyal to the public. If not, go get a private job and let some else serve the public.

vincent carter Mar 24, 2016 - 5:22 pm

# the moment when you realize Politicians are part of the problem and not the solution. Pride in our Community. # This is our reality

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