Labor Rally in Support of BART Workers

Press Release

What:   United Labor Rally in Support of BART Workers
Where: Frank Ogawa Plaza (14th and Broadway, Oakland)
When:  Thursday, August 1st at 5:00 PM rally followed by 6:00 PM march to BART Headquarters

 

Contacts: 

Chris Finn  415-867-5174   email: cfinn.2000@yahoo.com                  Claudia Arroyo 415-946- 9910  email: clauarroyo@yahoo.com

BART unions and other labor unions and community organizations from throughout Northern California will BE rallying on Thursday in downtown Oakland and then march to BART headquarters to protest BART management's demands that workers make major concessions on pensions, health care, and compensation, as well as BART management's willingness to jeopardize worker and rider safety (for example, trying to lay off train safety inspectors). Also joining them will be Screen Actors Guild member Danny Glover long a champion of labor, anti-racist, and anti-war struggles.

BART workers have been without a wage increase for four years. Health and safety conditions have deteriorated to the point that BART workers have been killed on the job. Although BART management projects a $125 million dollar a year surplus for the next 10 years, they still insist on more concessions from BART workers. Management also refuses to bargain over health and safety issues. They waste public funds fighting citations for safety violations instead of spending the money on improving safety. They paid $399,000 to bring in the notorious Thomas Hock as their negotiator, a Veolia Transportation Vice President who a record of provoking transit strikes in cities across the country.

Workers and community in the Bay Area have a long tradition of labor solidarity going back to the San Francisco General Strike of 1934. Thursday's rally will be a major step towards reviving that tradition. It will help turn the tide on the austerity assault that has led not only to attacks on labor, jobs, and pay, but also to essential public programs like public education, Medicare, Social Security, housing, and transit needed by all of us whether we are employed, unemployed, and underemployed.

Tens of thousands of workers throughout the region are working without contracts and face similar concession demands from management, while public schools and public services are being sacrificed on the "austerity" alter. The rally organizers are reaching out to these unions and community organizations to join together in solidarity and unity.

Unions and others endorsing include ATU 1555, SEIU 1021, AFSCME 3993, ILWU Local 10, San Francisco Labor Council, California AFL-CIO, AFSCME 444, ATU 192, OEA, UPTE Local 1 UCB / UC Office of the President, Women's Economic Agenda Project, United Public Workers For Action, Transport Workers Solidarity Committee, Jobs With Justice SF, EBASE, Teamsters Local 70, Dignidad & Resistencia