SanFran rail union, management resume negotiations

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Management of the San Francisco Bay area's commuter rail system and the union representing its train operators and station agents returned to the bargaining table Saturday, hoping to prevent a strike that threatened to clog bridges and maroon thousands of commuters when the workweek begins.

Leaders of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 announced earlier in the week that they would strike Monday after Bay Area Rapid Transit's board of directors imposed work terms that the union says amount to a 7 percent pay cut.

Two other BART unions already have approved new contracts, and BART spokesman Linton Johnson said ATU should follow suit.

"They can be the heroes in this by not having a strike," he said.

But Jesse Hunt, president of Local 1555, said the union has been asked to make more than its fair share of concessions. "Obviously, we see it very differently," he said.

Still, Hunt sounded an optimistic note, saying, "We are very close and are hoping to get this done."

BART officials confirmed talks were in progress Saturday afternoon but declined to give any specifics.

"BART and ATU are talking, and that's a good thing," said BART spokesman Jim Allison.

Both sides emerged in the evening and said they planned to do some more work separately and expected to meet again tomorrow.

"We made some progress today," Hunt said after the talks concluded.

As the strike threat loomed, other transportation agencies in the region were preparing to increase service. AC Transit, which provides bus service to communities east of San Francisco Bay, will watch for areas where additional service is needed, but Caltrain, which runs trains between San Jose and San Francisco, is already operating at maximum capacity.

Experts warned that the region's freeways and public transit options would be overwhelmed by the 340,000 riders who use BART each day.

The California Department of Transportation said it would have more toll collectors working during the morning rush hour and more people on traffic duty to monitor stop lights and clear obstructions.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said state mediators are available to help with negotiations and urged both sides to reach agreement.

"I think that most of the employees have come to an agreement, and I hope that the rest of them come to an agreement as quickly as possible because I think that it would be wrong to have a strike, because why punish the people?" he said. "I think the important thing is to continue working and to work this out this weekend as quickly as possible.

BART is facing a projected $310 million budget deficit over the next four years and wants to reduce its labor costs by $100 million.