Union, management of San Francisco-area rail system to meet in hopes of averting Monday strike

SF rail union, management to resume negotiations

OAKLAND, Calif. — The San Francisco Bay area’s commuter rail system and the union representing its station agents and train operators are resuming negotiations to try to avert a strike Monday.

Negotiators from Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 and the board of directors of Bay Area Rapid Transit plan to meet Saturday afternoon.

A strike would leave hundreds of thousands of commuters stranded on both sides of the bay and clog the area’s highways and bridges next week.

Union officials said earlier this week that they would strike Monday. The announcement came after BART’s board of directors imposed work terms the union says amount to a 7 percent pay cut.

Two other BART unions already have approved new contracts.