San Francisco public transportation, BART, has ceased to work for the second time this year as talks between the nation?s fifth-largest transit system and their management break down. The unresolved topics include issues surrounding pay, benefits, and work rules. In over six months of negotiations, even the length of the contract, three years versus four years, has not been decided. The ?last, best, and final offer? for each party comes closer to meeting on wages, but better bridged some of the gaps present on the other economic issues: insurance and pensions. Neither side could even estimate how long the strike and the impasse might last.
See "Strike two: Breakdown in labor talks halts BART trains for second time this year", Chris Roberts, San Francisco Examiner, October 17, 2013