OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Two transit unions issued a 72-hour strike notice, alerting the more than 400,000 San Francisco Bay area commuters that the system could be shut down during Monday’s commute if labor issues aren’t resolved.
Union leaders said they gave the notice Thursday evening as a courtesy to riders of Bay Area Rapid Transit trains, stressing that they intend to participate in labor talks up until the contract expires at midnight Sunday in hopes of averting a strike.
“This is not something that we want to do. This is not something that we intend to do,” said Antonette Bryant, president of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555.
The unions went on strike last month, shutting down BART service for four days and snarling transit. Commuters faced long lines for buses and ferries, and roadways were jammed, but a transit shutdown next week could be more disruptive because the first stoppage occurred around the Fourth of July holiday.
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