BART Workers Approve Union Contract Including Higher Health Care Costs
Bay Area Regional Transit workers represented by the transit system's two largest unions on Tuesday approved a four-year contract that increases wages while also raising workers' contributions to health care costs, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
The contract, which was agreed upon earlier this month between union leaders and BART officials, will increase health insurance costs for the two unions' 2,300 workers from $25 to $75 beginning in January. BART will provide employees with $300 bonuses in January to cover the increased health care contributions for the first six months. Workers' health care contributions will increase by 3% in each subsequent year.
Hourly wages for the unions' 2,300 workers will increase by a total of 7% over four years (St. John/Fulbright, San Francisco Chronicle, 7/20).