BART, unions continue talks to avert another strike
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The Bay Area could soon see another nightmare commute if BART and its unions can't reach a contract deal.
Both sides talked Saturday inside the Caltrans office in Oakland. There was a morning and then an afternoon session. The transit agency says there's been progress, but the unions say it hasn't been as much as they'd hoped.
Some union negotiators arrived for talks wearing Hawaiian shirts, a dig at BART's chief negotiator Thomas Hock, who is on vacation. The unions are also claiming Hock has a conflict of interest.
While the lead negotiator is getting paid nearly $400,000 to represent the transit agency, he is also a vice president of Veolia Transportation. According to the unions, that company was paid nearly $30,000 to provide shuttle bus service during the recent strike. Because of this, the unions filed a formal complaint with the BART Board of Directors.
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