Following months of vicious negotiations and a crippling transit strike, BART workers on Friday turned out to vote on their hard fought contract with BART management.
Workers turned out at the Oakland Mariott Hotel to mark a simple yes or no on the ballot.
“I’m relieved,” said worker Ricky Rideout as he entered the room to fill out his ballot. “Finally happy we came to a proposal that we are able accept.”
Union leaders projected the 1,400 workers would overwhelmingly accept the new contract which would give them a 12.5 percent raise over four years, and add about $37 dollars in workers’ monthly healthcare contributions.
“Some members feel we should’ve got more,” said John Arantes, the SEIU BART Chapter President. “On average people feel this a fair contract and we’re getting the feeling it’s going to be a yes vote.”
Arantes reiterated the oft-repeated union line, that workers regretted the strike but felt they were forced to it by BART management. “I’m very sorry for the public, my apologies for the strike,” said Arantes, “but it’s something we had to do and it’s an important right that workers have to protect themselves.”
While workers voted in Oakland, a group of about 20 angry BART riders gathered at the Pleasant Hill BART station to call for an end to transit strikes in the state.
The group was led Orinda Councilman and Assembly Candidate Steve Glazer, who gathered 20,000 signatures calling on the state legislature to ban transit workers from striking.
The group marched behind a banner reading “Ban Bart Strikes” to the office of State Senator Mark De Saunlier, who heads California’s powerful transit committee.
“A strike is too impactful on people, commuters, riders and our economy,” said Glazer. “We need our state legislators to step up and support on transit strikes.”
Bart rider Susie Huang who turned out for the march, said during the strike, she noticed far fewer students on the campus of U.C. Berkeley where she takes classes.“They have no way to come to class,” said Huang.
Workers at other transit agencies like San Francisco’s Muni, are forbidden to strike by local ordinances.
But former San Francisco Mayor, and current California Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom said banning strikes was not a silver bullet. “When I was mayor we had some contentious with our muni workers,” said Newsom, “but that didn’t stop them, even though they can’t legally strike, from in some cases all being miraculously sick.”
Arantes said banning strikes would have a chilling effect on workers’ rights. “If you were to ban the right to strike then you’re going to get to the point where you have an oppressive employer,” said Arantes, “you start getting unhappy workers, and safety starts getting down.”
Arantes said the union hoped to work in advance to lay the groundwork for a better relationship with BART, and avoid another vicious contract battle in four more years.
In the meantime, the union was expected to announce the results of its contract vote Friday night at 11 p.m.
Photo Credit: Joe Rosato Jr.