BART union negotiations hit snag over wasteful work rules

After a weekend of bargaining, BART reports that a key sticking point continues to be the refusal by union leaders to agree to eliminating their outdated, expensive and wasteful work rules that often cost BART riders and taxpayers millions in unnecessary overtime.

BART negotiators spent most of today with the leaders of  BART’s second largest union - the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), which primarily represents Train Operators and Stations Agents.  BART urged union leaders to agree to reforms of outdated, expensive and wasteful work rules that would save BART riders and taxpayers more than $22 million over four years and make BART a more efficient and customer-oriented operation.

Some of the wasteful work rules include:

EXCESSIVE UNION BUSINESS:  Rather than serving the public, the current contract allows the equivalent of 15 ATU employees per day to spend nearly 24,000 hours per year representing fellow union members – all on BART’s dime.

INFLEXIBLE STATION AGENT STAFFING: The current contract results in inefficient, inflexible and excessive station agent staffing levels.  BART wants to revise the contract so it can staff stations with the right number of people in the right place at the right time.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is reforming a contract clause called "Beneficial Past Practice." It’s the clause in the contract that gives birth to many of the union’s outdated, wasteful work rules.

BART faces a $310 million deficit over four years.  The BART Board of Directors has set a target of $100 million in labor cost savings over that same period of time.

Visit www.BARTlabor.com for more details.