An estimated 340,000 daily BART riders will have to look for a different mode of transportation starting on Monday, which is when the BART union is expected to strike. The union is in the middle of negotiations with the BART Board of Directors, who are imposing a one-year contract on workers represented Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555.
Carla Marinucci at the SF Chronicle blog notices a surprising reaction in traditionally labor and union friendly San Francisco. BART employees are hoping to gain public support, but there appears to be little sympathy for their union in a time where one in ten Californians is out of a job.
And this city should be angry. This absurdly selfish strike will cause huge and unnecessary disruptions for thousands of Bay Area employees, who now have to find an alternate way in and out of the city. If you've ever crawled inch-by-inch across the Bay Bridge at rush hour, you will know how frustrating the traffic can be. I can't even imagine what it's going to look like without the BART trains zipping across the bay.
Some may balk at calling this strike "selfish," but let me throw out a few statistics that might change your mind. The average BART employee makes about $120,000 a year, which apparently is not enough for these under worked and over payed brats. Since it is also run by a parasitic union, there is an incredible amount of sheer and utter waste:
Last year, BART installed new seats in 205 train cars as part of a major upgrade of the interior amenities of our system. While we hope the changes are a comfort to our riders, they may be surprised to know that it takes two employees at BART to change out a seat cushion and backing under current contract rules.
The contract allows a utility worker to unfasten the snaps that hold a seat cushion in place. But the two screws fastening a seat back can only be touched by a journeyman mechanic. BART changed some 26,000 seat cushions last year.
Only something run by the government could this be inefficient and incompetent.
There are rumors around the web that there will be a public protest of this strike at noon on Monday, August 17th at noon in front of the BART headquarters (20th and Harrison St.) for anyone interested in voicing their opposition to this madness.
Luckily for me, I don't take the BART train to work, so this strike won't directly affect my daily commute. But for the thousands who do, here is a great list of other transit options from the SF Chronicle:
Transit options
Here is what Bay Area transit agencies plan to do in the event of a BART strike. For details, contact the individual transit provider or, for up-to-date regional information, go to www.511.org, or call 511.
Alameda/Oakland Ferry, Alameda Harbor Bay Ferry
Plan: Double the number of daily runs between the Harbor Bay Terminal and San Francisco, and between the west Alameda and Oakland docks and San Francisco.
Contact: www.eastbayferry.com, (510) 522-3300
AC Transit
Plan: Provide extra service between the East Bay and San Francisco based on need and availability of buses and drivers. Run larger buses on transbay routes. Stops at BART stations may be relocated.
Contact: www.actransit.org; (510) 817-1717 or 511
Caltrain
Plan: No added service
Contact: www.caltrain.com; (800) 660-4287
County Connection
Plan: No specific plans to add service but will pitch in if buses and drivers are available.
Contact: www.cccta.org; (925) 676-7500
Golden Gate Transit and Ferries
Plan: Buses that serve El Cerrito Del Norte and Richmond BART stations will have stops relocated nearby. An additional ferry will operate during the morning. Other ferries will operate on regular schedules with room to accommodate additional passengers.
Contact: www.goldengate.org; 511
SamTrans
Plan: Stops at the Daly City and Colma stations will be relocated nearby. A free shuttle will take passengers to Market Street in San Francisco, where they can connect to Muni.
Contact: www.samtrans.com; (800) 660-4287
Muni
Plan: Increase bus and streetcar service on the 14-Mission, 49-Van Ness, J-Church and N-Judah lines; expand the East Bay casual carpool area on Beale Street to include 12 additional East Bay BART stations.
Contact: www.sfmta.com; 311 in San Francisco or 511 from outside the city
Vallejo Transit and Baylink Ferry
Plan: Add a fourth boat, providing three extra departures in the morning and evening. Add express bus service between the Vallejo Ferry Terminal and San Francisco Ferry Building if needed.
Contact: For ferries: www.baylinkferry.com; (877) 643-3779. For buses: www.vallejotransit.com; (707) 648-4666.
Comments
I thought I was the only one who thought Bart employees were selfish. When was the last time anyone has ever seen a station agent do anything other that read a newspaper or clear a dollar bill from the ticket machine? These people are clearly overpaid. The government should consider selling Bart to a private company and perhaps we would have to deal with BS such as this.
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