BART workers take strike authorization vote
Source: San Francisco Chronicle
As BART moved closer to a potential strike Tuesday, with union members rallying and voting on whether to authorize a work stoppage, transit agency officials asked Gov. Jerry Brown not to order a 60-day cooling-off period that would delay a possible strike, and regional transportation officials plotted a strategy to help minimize the gridlock if BART stops running.
The transit agency's two largest unions, which represent train operators, station agents, mechanics and maintenance workers, held separate strike authorization votes in Oakland with the polls open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Results of the votes were scheduled to be released Wednesday morning. The anticipated strike authorization gives union leaders the power to call a strike but does not mean one is imminent.
Labor agreements for BART's five unions expire at midnight Sunday, and union members say they are ready to strike to protect their pensions, health insurance and safety at work.
Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/BART-workers-take-strike-authorization-vote-4622021.php
