Catherwood LibraryILR School

The board of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is calling for the union to return to the bargaining table after a provision was erroneously included in the final draft of the contract that was signed by both parties in October. The provision would give all 2,300 unionized employees up to 6 weeks paid time off per year if taken under the Family Medical Leave Act. The provision was disputed during negotiations, and BART officials are saying that it was never their intention to allow it in the final contract. Management estimates the liability could cost the San Francisco Bay public transportation provider upwards of $10.5 million per year if one third of the workforce takes an average of 4.3 weeks. The ATU Local 1555 rebuts that figure and estimates a $1.4 million per year liability to the organization.