BART union approves new labor contract

Members of the Service Employees’ International Union Local 1021, which represents 1,430 mechanics, custodians and clerical workers, will vote on the pact on Jan. 13.

Des Patten, a top negotiator for SEIU Local 1021, said he’s hopeful that the members of his union will approve the agreement, saying, “We worked long and hard for our members so they could vote ‘yes’ on it.”

BART directors voted 8-1 Thursday to approve the tentative agreement that could end nine months of labor strife with the agency’s employee unions.

The only board member to vote against the agreement was director Zakhary Mallett, who said he opposes it because it doesn’t include a net increase in the amount of money employees must contribute to help pay for their retirement costs.

BART management had said the pension contribution increase was one of its goals in lengthy negotiations that began last April 1 and included two four-day strikes in July and October by members of ATU Local 1555 and SEIU Local 1021.

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