Strike possible as employers’ negotiator goes on holiday

ITF affiliates in the USA have reacted with disbelief as the chief employers’ negotiator went on holiday at a crucial point in negotiations.
 
Thomas Hock, vice president for labour relations at Veolia, is allegedly earning 400,000 USD from the Bay Area Rapid Transport (BART) agency as their chief negotiator. However, the AmalgamatedTransit Union (ATU) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) reported that Hock went on holiday between July 24 and 28. BART claims thatnegotiations can continue in Hock’s absence; however, Pete Castelli of SEIU Local 1021 was reported to have said: “They’re saying that they can’t move while he’s gone*”.
 
ATU and SEIU members went on strike July 1 - 5 after BART refused to agree to a 4.5% wage increase for each of the next three years along with a cost-of-living adjustment. BART’s offer is both significantly lower and has increased employee healthcare payments – which would totally wipe out the raise BART is offering. All parties are now in a30-day cooling off period, and negotiations need to be settled by August 4 if a strike is to be avoided. Unions are angry that BART and Hock appear to be willfully delaying negotiations.
 
Both Hock and Veolia are alleged to have a history of bargaining in bad faith. In hearings before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last year, Veolia was found to have engaged in ‘regressive, bad-faith and surface bargaining’ during negotiations in Phoenix, Arizona. Hock ran his own advisory company, Professional Transit Management(PTM), until 2008 - the year he sold it to Veolia. PTM had 51 complaints against it filed before the NLRB between 2001 and 2008. Refusal to bargain and spying on employees were listed among other allegations.
 
ATU is appalled that BART appears to be bargaining in bad faith. “BART and their hired gun could care less about reaching an agreement to provide the people of the Bay Area with the reliable and safe public transportation they deserve,” said ATU International President Larry Hanley. “Management says there’s no money in the bank, but has plans to expand and wastes tax payer money on overpaid consultants, rather than openly and fairly bargaining with these workers. It’s another case of elitist greed at the expense of working people.”  
 
*See http://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/BART-negotiator-must-stay-on-job-4680402.php, accessed 10.02 on 1 August 2013.