BART and Union Workers Reach Tentative Agreement

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The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District is among 15 California transit agencies Moody's placed on downgrade watch because of the federal government is challenging a state pension reform.

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit resumed service early Tuesday morning after its two largest unions reached a tentative agreement on labor contracts.

"This is a good package for our union members while still allowing the District to make the necessary investments in our infrastructure," BART general manager Grace Crunican said in a statement. "That investment is critical to the future of the Bay Area."

The agreement, which will be presented to employees for a ratification vote, was announced Tuesday night after four days without BART service.

Details of the tentative settlement were not disclosed.

"I won't go into details about the tentative agreement," Crunican said. "I will simply say it sets BART on a path of partnerships with union members and helps us to prepare for the future."

The Amalgamated Transit Union and the Service Employees International Union, which comprise a majority of BART employees, have been in contentious negotiations with the agency over the terms of a four-year labor contract.

In July, the negotiations resulted in a strike followed by a 60-day cooling off period requested by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The cooling off period ended on Oct. 10, but service and negotiations continued until Friday, when union leaders walked away and called for a strike.

BART workers previously went on strike in 1997, and threatened to walk off the job during negotiations in 2001, 2005, and 2009.

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Transportation industry California
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