BART officials and union representatives have returned to contract negotiations today to try to avoid a regional strike that could paralyze Bay Area commutes on Monday.
With less than 12 hours before current contracts expire at midnight, all parties were back at Caltrans headquarters in Oakland this afternoon in a last-ditch effort to reach a deal, BART spokesman Rick Rice said.
Neither side had reported any progress as of 12:30 p.m.
Leaders of Service Employees International Union Local 1021, which represents 1,430 mechanics, custodians and clerical workers, and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents 945 station agents, train operators and clerical workers, notified BART on Thursday night that their members will go on strike Monday if a deal isn’t reached by midnight tonight.
If BART workers strike, the work stoppage would go into effect with BART’s first scheduled trains at around 4:30 a.m. on Monday.
Negotiators were trying to strike a deal between BART and its two biggest unions on wages, pension and health care contributions.
