jct74
10-20-2013, 09:05 AM
BART Employees Strike Again Despite Earning $30,000 More Than Typical San Francisco Worker
Jess Remington | Oct. 18, 2013 4:45 pm
Employees of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) went on strike again today, after a deadline to resolve contract negotiations passed without a deal. This is the union’s second strike in three months.
Hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters turned instead to free city-provided charter buses, ferries, and their cars. The California Highway Patrol and BART officials reported traffic backed up for miles and insufficient public transit alternatives.
The strike followed an impasse between union leaders and BART management, as they were unable to reach an agreement on workers’ salary, benefits, and pension plans.
...
However, it seems the patience of many Bay Area riders and residents has been wearing thin. Following the first strike, a Survey USA/KPIX-TV poll found that 44% of residents felt that BART management had made a better case in negotiations compared to 19% in support of the union.
To many living in the area, their demands may seem out of touch. According to BART officials, the 2,300 mechanics, custodians, station agents, train operators, and clerical staff earn an average base salary of $71,000 per year plus $11,000 in overtime pay. Additionally, BART employees pay only $92 per month for health coverage and contribute nothing toward their pensions.
Back in August, the San Francisco Chronicle broke down the numbers on BART employees’ compensation compared to transit workers in other major U.S. cities. Their analysis found that once you “factor in their low-cost health care and lack of pension contributions…they may well be among the best-off in the country."
...
read more:
http://reason.com/blog/2013/10/18/bart-employees-strike-again-despite-earn
Jess Remington | Oct. 18, 2013 4:45 pm
Employees of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) went on strike again today, after a deadline to resolve contract negotiations passed without a deal. This is the union’s second strike in three months.
Hundreds of thousands of Bay Area commuters turned instead to free city-provided charter buses, ferries, and their cars. The California Highway Patrol and BART officials reported traffic backed up for miles and insufficient public transit alternatives.
The strike followed an impasse between union leaders and BART management, as they were unable to reach an agreement on workers’ salary, benefits, and pension plans.
...
However, it seems the patience of many Bay Area riders and residents has been wearing thin. Following the first strike, a Survey USA/KPIX-TV poll found that 44% of residents felt that BART management had made a better case in negotiations compared to 19% in support of the union.
To many living in the area, their demands may seem out of touch. According to BART officials, the 2,300 mechanics, custodians, station agents, train operators, and clerical staff earn an average base salary of $71,000 per year plus $11,000 in overtime pay. Additionally, BART employees pay only $92 per month for health coverage and contribute nothing toward their pensions.
Back in August, the San Francisco Chronicle broke down the numbers on BART employees’ compensation compared to transit workers in other major U.S. cities. Their analysis found that once you “factor in their low-cost health care and lack of pension contributions…they may well be among the best-off in the country."
...
read more:
http://reason.com/blog/2013/10/18/bart-employees-strike-again-despite-earn