Longer cooling-off ordered by Anti-labor Gov Brown could block AC Transit strike

Longer cooling-off ordered by Anti-labor Gov Brown could block AC Transit strike
Longer cooling-off could block AC Transit strike
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/AC-Transit-Jerry-Brown-orders-60-d...
Carolyn Jones
Published 4:51 pm, Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Bay Area transit woes aren't over yet. AC Transit drivers and mechanics might strike Thursday morning if a judge does not extend a cooling-off period that's due to expire at midnight Wednesday.

"We're hopeful it won't come to that, but yes, it could happen," said Yvonne Williams, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 192, which represents about 1,600 drivers and mechanics for the East Bay's largest bus service.

AC Transit and Local 192 have been negotiating since late March, at times with the help of a state mediator. Twice they've come up with agreements, and twice union members have rejected them.

The most recent rejection was Oct. 2, and last week the union gave strike notice. To prevent both BART and AC Transit from striking simultaneously, which would have worsened an already bad commute in the East Bay, Gov. Jerry Brown ordered a seven-day cooling-off period and investigation into the broader issues at the bus service last week.

He appointed a three-member panel to listen to both sides, as well as the concerns of riders, and report with a recommendation. If the panel suggests a 60-day cooling-off period, Brown would likely seek a judge's approval to impose one.

AC Transit carries about 181,000 riders daily in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and its transbay service was a critical link to San Francisco during the BART strike.

The last time the union and management met formally was before Oct.2. No new talks are scheduled, said district spokesman Clarence Johnson.

The primary dispute is over wages and health care costs. Management is offering a 9.5 percent pay raise over three years but also increased contributions to health care costs. The union is asking for higher raises to offset the health care contributions.

Drivers and mechanics earn $16 to $31 an hour, and would have to pay a maximum of $283 a month in health care costs, depending on their coverage.

Bus riders on Tuesday said their lives would be upended by a strike.

"I'd be stranded," said Ajman Thrower, 21, who takes AC Transit from his home in Oakland's Laurel district to Merritt College in Oakland and his job a few miles away on International Boulevard. "I'm all for workers getting their due pay, but this would be a disaster for everyone in this city. How are you supposed to get to work? To school?"

Larrolyn Parms-Ford, 19, takes the bus from Mills College, where she's a student, to downtown Oakland for an internship at Rep. Barbara Lee's office.

"The bus drivers might go on strike? Oh Lord," she said. "I don't have a car. The bus is my only option. ... I understand they're doing this for fair wages, but I don't know how I'd get around."

The last time AC Transit workers went on strike was for 78 days in 1977, Williams said.

AC Transit, which replaced the old Key System in the 1950s, derives most of its funding from local sales and property taxes. Income plunged during the recent recession, at one point hitting the district with a deficit of $56 million, and union members agreed to pay cuts for several years to help offset revenue losses.

But now that the economy has begun to recover, union members want to see their loyalty rewarded, Williams said.

"It's very tough work," she said. "Our members want to know they're respected."

Revenues have bounced back somewhat, but the district still faces financial challenges, said Johnson.

"Times are better, but we're not out of the woods," he said.

Carolyn Jones is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail:carolynjones@sfchronicle.com