BART Seeks 60 Day Cooling Off Period For Its Smallest Union; AFSCME Actions Threatened Progress of All Negotiations at BART, BART GM Testifies

Business Wire, August 3, 2001

Business/News Editors

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 3, 2001

Threats of a strike or walk out by BART's supervisors' union creates uncertainty for its ridership and hurts the negotiation process with its larger unions, BART's General Manager Thomas E. Margro testified today before a fact finding committee appointed by Governor Gray Davis.

Margro testified he believes that a cooling off period for the American Federations of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) local 3993 is critical to getting on with the process of reaching a settlement for a new contract for all its unions.

"The continual threats of a strike by AFSCME has created uncertainty for our riders and employees, and is generally disruptive to the collective bargaining effort, not only with that union but with Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 1555, and Service Employees International (SEIU) local 790 as well," Margro said. "We ask for the cooling off period to protect the public's transportation needs and to provide a manner in which to continue negotiations with AFSCME."

AFSCME's threats have impacted BART's ridership, he said. Ridership dropped by 20,000 on Monday, July 30 after threats of a strike or walkout by the union.

While ATU and SEIU, Local 790 are currently under a 60-day cooling off period called for by Governor Davis on July 6, AFSCME, under a court ruling that it sought and won, was excluded and thus free to strike.

"Our goal is and always has been to stay at the table and reach a settlement at the earliest possible time," Margro said. "AFSCME leadership has simply said `give us what we want or we'll strike.' This is not a reasonable negotiation tactic."

The Governor's Fact Finding Panel is expected to deliver its report to Governor Davis by August 7.