This is big news for anyone living in the San Francisco Bay Area.
A BART union representing train operators, station agents, and power workers, has announced that it plans to go on strike midnight Sunday.
This is a huge deal for everyone in the Bay Area, especially, but not only, commuters.
This is from KTVU News:
OAKLAND, Calif. -- A spokesman for BART's second-largest union announced Thursday that its members would begin a strike Sunday at midnight.
BART's board of directors voted unanimously Thursday to unilaterally implement terms and conditions of employment for members of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555.
BART management held a special meeting today and in a 9-0 vote approved imposing the terms after the union rejected BART's final contract offer in negotiations Wednesday night.
Jesse Hunt, president of ATU Local 1555, which represents about 900 train operators, station agents and power workers, said earlier Thursday that if the board took such a step, union members would strike.
It's not clear at this point if the strike can be averted: several times in the past, it's gotten close thanks to brinksmanship on both sides, and a deal was worked out in the 11th hour. We have a few days for that to happen.
If it doesn't, then its more than 300,000 daily riders will be in a tough spot, as will commuters who face already crowded roads, especially across the Bay Bridge.
Cross your fingers for a good outcome.
Update I
For a little background, here's a map of the destinations serviced by BART.