By Isabel Angell
The second deadline for a contract between BART and its unions is quickly approaching, but the two sides still have a long way to go if they want to prevent a second strike.
BART issued a statement today saying the unions' request for a wage increase would mean an 18 percent fare hike for riders. That means the unions have stuck with their offer before the strike-- a 20.1 percent raise over three years. BART spokesman Rick Rice confirmed the two sides haven’t moved on the salary issue.
“That's a current estimate. And our current proposal is still at 8 percent over four years.”
This is the first mention of the state of negotiations since the 4½-day strike in early July, when the state mediator handling the talks asked both sides to keep details out of the press. But Rice said this statement doesn't break the state mediator's request.