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Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021, which represents nearly half of the Bay Area Transit company's unionized employees, voted Thursday to reject management's new contract proposal. The vote, with 95.5% opposed to the contract, was nearly unanimous, and in line with Tuesday's vote results, when two other BART unions voted overwhelmingly against the proposal. A strike has been authorized, but no walk out is scheduled yet. The union says that the proposal, which freezes salaries, increases the work-week, cuts pensions and benefits, and increases management say in assignments, is too hard on workers, while the company maintains that it is fair, given the state of the economy. The union has proposed a retirement cost-reduction alternative that the company has agreed to consider.