BART directors OK $1.5 billion budget And Continue Attack On ATU 1555 And SEIU 1021 Members "We just want to normalize things."

BART directors OK $1.5 billion budget And Continue Attack On ATU 1555 And SEIU 1021 Members "We just want to normalize things."

 
BART directors OK $1.5 billion budget

http://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/BART-directors-OK-1-5-billion...
BART directors approved a $1.5 billion budget Thursday night that includes a small fare increase and makes a payment on new rail cars despite complaints from union members who claimed the spending plan was manipulated to affect ongoing labor negotiations.

The atmosphere surrounding the budget meeting was at least as much about BART's ongoing labor talks and a potential July 1 strike as it was about spending priorities for the coming year.

About 200 union members wearing purple T-shirts crowded the meeting room and spilled out into the hallway. Those outside loudly cheered the 20 or so speakers inside who urged the board to recognize the workers' contributions to BART and the danger they face on the job.

"I plead with you to ease up (at the bargaining table) and be a little more reasonable," said Des Patten, chairman of the professional chapter of Service Employees International Union Local 1021. "None of us want a strike. But we will go on strike."

A couple of hours before the meeting, BART management had its say in a news briefing. Officials showed off new drawings of what the agency calls "the fleet of the future" - 1,000 cars that have a sleek three-door design but are made of silver brushed aluminum like the current cars, some of which are more than 40 years old.

Contract changes

Then they laid out their case for BART workers to pay more for benefits and agree to rule changes that will reduce the amount of unscheduled absences and sick time.

"BART has a contract that's held up at union meetings as the gold standard," said General Manager Grace Crunican. "We just want to normalize things."

This year's budget is different from those in the recent past - and that's a point of contention with the unions. While it doesn't call for any service cuts, and includes only a regularly scheduled inflation-based fare increase on Jan. 1, it melds BART's operating expenses and capital needs in a single spending plan. Typically those budgets are separate.

BART leaders say that with $15 billion in capital needs over the next 15 to 20 years - rail cars, a new train maintenance facility and an upgraded train control system - the agency needs to consider those budgets together, and steer any extra revenue from operations toward those projects.

The budget calls for spending $46 million to purchase rail cars and $7 million to replace seats and floors in existing cars, and setting aside $7.5 million from fare increases for system improvements.

Bargaining tactic

But BART's unionized employees accused the transit district of joining the budgets as a bargaining tactic to deprive them of deserved raises. They say the transit agency should seek state and federal grants for system improvements.

The unions, representing about 2,800 employees from train operators and station agents to supervisors and police officers, have gone without raises for five years. They have proposed a three-year contract with annual raises of 5 percent plus cost-of-living adjustments, roughly a 23 percent raise, which BART says is too costly.

BART officials say they have proposed a raise - they declined to be specific - and say the budget will be adjusted later to reflect the ultimate contract. The budget does include a 1 percent increase the unions earned by reaching performance-based standards in the current contract, which expires June 30. Both sides have said they need to make significant progress to avoid the threat of a July 1 strike. Earlier this week, BART requested assistance from a state mediator. Union representatives said that seemed premature, but agreed. Mediated talks are expected to begin soon.

BART's budget breaks down to about $795 million in operating expenses and $737 million in capital projects.

Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail:mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan