Golden Gate Transit Bus Strike Canceled, Tentative Agreement Reached
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) — Threats of a Golden Gate Transit bus strike, planned for Thursday, May 10 have been canceled after the union and bridge district were able to negotiate a tentative framework.
Both sides were hoping to avoid any labor unrest leading up to the bridge's 75th anniversary celebration.
The half-day May Day strike by Golden Gate Ferry workers on May 2nd was supported by the 13 other unions that make up the Golden Gate Bridge Labor Coalition.
Bus maintenance workers, who had threatened to walk off the job Thursday, would have forced 25,000 riders to find alternate modes of transportation.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
Alex Tonnenson is Coalition co-chair. He said the sticking point had been health care which is now offered at no cost to workers while the district was asking the union to pay up to eight percent.
"We're not going to give out specific details," Tonnenson said. "We think that it's a very good compromise. Both sides had to make movement to come to an agreement, but we still think it protects the health care of working families at the bridge district."
Negotiations have been on going since April of last year, and no one wanted to see the bridge's anniversary marred by picketing.
"I think that all the activity that's happened over the past 12 months, including May Day definitely helped move us to an agreement that was acceptable for both parties and I think May Day definitively took a big part in that," Tonnenson added.
The 14 separate unions hope to have a new contract ratified within two weeks.
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