BART Board to Receive Report on Avoiding Future Strikes

A consultant who was hired by BART’s board of directors to try to prevent strikes in the future will present her recommendations to the board at their meeting on Thursday.

Among the recommendations in a 224-page report prepared by Rhonda Hilyer of the firm Agreement Dynamics are to start contract talks earlier, use arbitrators and remove abrasive negotiators.

BART’s management and labor unions have had a combative relationship during most of the transit agency’s history and talks last year were so acrimonious that there were two short strikes and a new labor agreement wasn’t ratified until this January, six months after the previous contract expired.

In her report, Hilyer said she wants to help both sides “break the cycle of adversarialism” but she cautioned that, “This complex, challenging and intense effort will require significant commitment by all parties.”

BART normally starts bargaining with its unions three months before their contracts expire but Hilyer said talks should start at least six months before contract talks expire.

Hilyer said the BART board should remove managers with combative and adversarial styles from labor talks and should use “managers who are respected by and have credibility with the unions and the workforce.”

She said, “This is about a style of communication and leadership that is constructive and collaborative.”

Hilyer also said BART should use neutral facilitators and possibly state or federal mediators from the beginning of contract talks rather than bringing them in later when negotiations go bad.

BART General Manager Grace Crunican admitted in a statement that, “Last year’s labor negotiation process was well below the standard the public and our riders expect and deserve” and said Hilyer’s report “makes it clear that mistakes were made during the 2013 labor negotiations process.”

Crunican said, “BART has already begun implementing changes to improve communication with union leaders and tackling important issues,” such as hiring a new assistant general manager of employee relations who oversees both human resources and labor relations.

Crunican said management is meeting regularly with union leaders to help rebuild relationships and is trying to address employees’ concerns, such as having extra layers of protection for trackside workers and cleaning up stations for a better environment for workers and riders.

She said, “Over the next few weeks, we will continue to analyze the report’s 63 recommendations and work with the unions and our board to prioritize those recommendations we can successfully implement to ensure our negotiations will improve in the future.”

--Bay City News