Newly elected Board President Joel Keller will seek changes to BART’s labor negotiations process during his term as Board leader. Director Keller was elected Board President this afternoon by a unanimous vote, the third time his fellow Board members have chosen him to lead the Board since he was first elected to represent District 2 in 1994.
Keller will appoint a new Board committee to investigate labor negotiation policies and practices and to make recommendations to the Board and General Manager.
“This committee will be charged with examining our labor negotiations process from top to bottom,” Keller said. “We need to look at every aspect of how we negotiate contracts, including the system of checks and balances to ensure we never repeat the mistakes of 2013. Our riders and the taxpayers deserve nothing less than our best effort.”
Keller also announced that he will undertake a 60-day process to draft an advisory measure that will require future binding arbitration and ban strikes for BART transit workers if the District and its unions cannot agree on a contract by the June 30 deadline.
Keller said he will bring language forward for the measure, and ask his colleagues to place the advisory measure on the ballot for November 2014 in the three-county BART area.
“We cannot put the Bay Area through another acrimonious bargaining season like the one that we had this year,” said President Keller. “If we cannot agree – then we leave it to an independent arbitrator to sort it out for the Bay Area and not subject this region to more paralysis.”
Director Keller has been instrumental in the effort to extend BART service to eastern Contra Costa County. Keller retired as a Probation Manager for Contra Costa County in 2003 and as a Chief Deputy Probation Officer for Solano County in 2008. Voters also elected him to be the Mayor for the City of Antioch in 1984 and re-elected in 1988 and 1992. Visit www.bart.gov/board for more information about Keller’s career.
Thomas Blalock Elected Vice President
The Board also unanimously elected Director Tom Blalock as the Board Vice President.
Thomas Blalock first joined the Board after his District 6 constituents elected him on November 8, 1994. Since then, voters re-elected him in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010 to represent Fremont, Hayward (partial), Newark, Union City and unincorporated Alameda County (partial).
His BART Board colleagues first chose him to serve as Vice President of the Board in 1999 and President of the Board in 2000. He served as President for the second time from December 2008 through December 2009.
Blalock is dedicated to expand BART south. He serves on the Silicon Valley Rapid Transit Project Policy Advisory Board, whose efforts include the new Warm Springs Station and the future BART extension to Santa Clara County.
Both Keller and Blalock also intend to address BART’s critical state of good repair needs.
13 comments
About time. I’ll be voting in favor of the ban. No public employee should be able to strike since both sides at the bargaining table are paid by taxpayers(or riders) and neither are represented in the negotiations.
Right Duck Hunter. However this is the man who told Antioch Livermore would never get Bart and stuck us with ebart. He has never told the truth. He even told us two years ago the track was being laid and it was not.
This is the same guy who lied to us about BART coming here, and gave some “slick” presentation to the Antioch City Council about how an “end of the line” station doesn’t need bathrooms or escalators. This is also the same guy when he was Mayor of Antioch ruined Antioch by allowing developers to come in, build, build, build, build, build “affordable” housing during the late 1980s — leaving us all with what we have now — neighborhoods full of Section 8 housing owned by “investors”, and NOT maintaining city services city services with the growth — police, public works, etc. — IF you were living in Antioch during the 80s you will remember what a JERK Joel Keller was then and still is NOW …….. Keep talking Joel, you big JERK !!
No Joel Keller fan, he needs to be removed from office. He is using this so called anti-strike clause to pander to voters to keep his seat.
Who cares about Keller.The idea has great merit Stopping public transportation affects millions of good people and should be outlawed. When the air traffic controllers went on strike to stop air traffic the president ordered them to work or get replaced.That is exactly what should happen with most all public employee strikes if they affect the public safety or normal daily public needs. The public employees need to take their cause through the court system and not stop the general public’s needs. Strike and get replaced has nothing to do with Keller. However, I applaud him for having the guts to back the common person who relies on public transportation to work and live normal. Besides BART people including Keller are paid way higher than average. If you are a BART employee and don’t like it quit. There are thousands of people waiting for your job with content and a smile.
Another clueless response authored by none other than ECVbother. Quite possibly the dumbest human being in all of east county.
ECV’s bother-brother,
Thanks for posting another one of your stellar examples of how out of touch you are with common sense, politics, economics and most of all reality.
Once again proving, you are the odd man out. Congrats at making yourself the minority here. In the real world game of survivor you would be the first one voted off the island. That is what makes you a loser anyway you slice it. Good job buddy.
@ECVs Brother,
Again, go back in the bar when you finish your cigarette and have another drink ….
You three idiots have to be somehow be connected to a public employee union. Only fools and takers would side with allowing public services like this to shut down. Bimbo, Bonehead, and my fool of a big bro who was dropped at birth need to be protected because they have no real self worth to anyone. Public services that are required for an adult society to operate should not be allowed to strike. Period, as the other liar promised. When this issue is put on a ballot you three nut jobs can vote no while the rest of the sane people will vote yes to stop strikes on public transportation. Then you will cry to your public union because they jacked up your monthly dues to pay for the ballot loss.
@ECVs Brother,
Go back inside the bar now and continue having a few more drinks …. Then call a taxi for a ride home.
@ECVs Brother,
By the way, Keller is retired from the Contra Costa County Probation Department, and is a former Oakland cop … two job classifications represented by a UNION !!
All of what Keller is doing is preaching to the choir, so that IDIOTS like you will vote for him to keep in him office …. You miss the point of what people on this blog are saying about the Man, not the issue, because you are too busy sitting in a bar having drinks with your other drunk buddies discussing ways to solve the world’s problems — that’s what you sound like when you give your input.
Preventing BART employees from going on strike is a GOOD thing, because then it will require both sides to go into Binding Arbitration, and that will prevent management from presenting their side (crying poor mouth LIES) while AT THE SAME TIME hiring non-union workers, and making arrangements with private bus companies at taxpayer expense … Think about that one while you sip on your drink in the bar.
SO GO BACK IN THE BAR AND HAVE A FEW MORE DRINKS !!!!
@ Vince, Great reply! You hit the nail on the head Vince. Unfortunately the dimwit of east county (ECV’s bother/brother) cannot digest the simplest of facts. If you knew who he is, like I do you would know he is incapable of what most people consider common sense. He is an outcast, misfit and has been put on the “do not disturb” list by most people that you would identify with. He is socially retarded. He only shows up on blogs as his way of getting out his frustration, because he is largely ignored by people in general. (Even his few friends talk behind his back). Blogging his BS is his only outlet for some sick type of mental masturbation. (Don’t waste too much time with him unless like me, you are doing it just to see him beat his little skull against the keyboard)……Like a moth to a flame.
He is nothing more than a broken little toy from misfit island.
p.s. Glad you have Keller figured out. I think at this point everyone is onto him as well.
Vinnie,
Be careful what you wish for. If Sonja’s is closed the village idiot may end up in Antioch!
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