Posted on Sunday, 6/28/2009 - 6:19 p.m. PDT — by joan_a
Why are you focusing on BART employees salaries AGAIN? This is the 3rd story- and why are the UNIONS falling for it too? While you bicker over salaries, in the last 30 days, the BART board has passed over $1 Billion in construction projects AND raised fares AND cut service. WAKE-UP people- BART is a $1.4 billiion per year construction company- they don't want to be the cheapest option- only slightly less than driving your car. Labor costs are 28 percent of the FY2009 budget, the bigger question IS- where is the rest of the money going?
Joined: Feb 2009
Current Posts: 16
That was a good first stab at it...but keep going down the list...for example...note the police supervisior who made over 200,000 last year by doubling his salary with overtime...alll this OT means they are padding their pensions...which we all pay for for the next 50 years. It cannot continue...Look at the payrolll department Borenstein...and see how ALL of the payroll department had overtime of 14,000 to 35,000 a year...this whole bureaucracy needs to go bankrupt so we can CLEAN HOUSE.
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 2
Your story is good but only touches half the problem. I'm a BART employee for 15 years. Believe me when I tell you OT is not the problem here. The Public and the Company should be happy that these and all BART employees take pride in there work and are able to work this overtime. They are extremely important in BART's day to day Operations. We are grossly understaffed in some departments. You have hit on some good points about finding qualified people to work at BART. I can't speak about Operations but I can speak for maintenance. Communication Techs, Train Control Tech, Electricians and other positions are UNDERSTAFFED and have had NO expiration date on job postings until the freeze has taken effect. The problem is that people are taking the test and either not passing or passing and finding out the starting pay for these positions and NOT taking the job because the pay is NOT appropiate for Journeyman level experience ( that's right ) and the days off and hours are not to there liking. BART wants to pay people with over 10 -20 years in the trade apprentice wages to start and take 5 years to top out. Find out what that wage is and then go to Muni and other Union classifications in California and compare the wage. Then we can talk on the same level. Now that's a story. BART management picks and choices jobs classifications to tell the public to try to get the public on their side and against the union. That's why our maintenance workforce age averages in the mid to high 40's. That's the answer to your question in your article. Everything in the papers are about how the union doesn't get it, believe me when I tell you we do get it. If BART is going to be so broke why are they continuing to build NEW structures waist money on new projects. I know that in my household if money is short, I'm not going to make more bills and spend more money. I'm going to save and try to get through the hard times. Want a good story, follow the money they have taken money out of the operating budget to capital projects. That creates a shortage in the operating budget. Don't take my word for it, it happens every time union contracts are up. Look at the history. BART money is public money it has a paper trail. You seem to be a very educated person follow the money it will tell all.
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 10
Employee costs are always a huge expense with any employer and especially with a Government Agency like BART.
But if you want to know what the problem is, look at BART's proposal to spend over $500 million dollars to move people from the Coliseum Station to the Oakland Airport, while at the same time increasing fares, charging new parking fees and complaining about a budget deficit.
The same financial idiots that are proposing this capital project are the same people that are making all the financial decisions at BART, which have included overly generous pension benefits to their employees and the idiots that decided to hire more employees to keep trains clean while at the same time, not enforcing their own policy prohibiting eating and drinking in the BART system.
Bart instituted automatic fare increases years ago and still can't manage their finances properly, BART's financial problems are on the expenditure side, not the revenue side.
Until BART is privatized and has to compete in the market place, it will remain like all other government agencies; wasteful and inefficient. .
Joined: Dec 1969
Current Posts: 1
I just love the $81 per month medical benefit. I'll work for that and Minimum Wage.
Joined: Jul 2009
Current Posts: 2
IF YOU ARE AN ELECTRONIC'S TECH, COM TECH, ELECTRICIAN, ect. APPLY WE NEED YOU
Joined: Dec 1969
Current Posts: 1
It is fashionable today to bash BART employees in light of the recent negotiations. Many "facts" have been thrown out that are completely incorrect. As a clinical psychologist, I have seen a number of BART employees over the years. They are referred to me after traumatic incidents, and I have formed a strong view that BART employees are far from overcompensated. Those of you in retail: When was the last time you were verbally accosted for not giving a customer an item for free? BART station agents, on a daily basis, have to contend with accusations and threats because patrons are demanding a free ride. Then there are the deaths and dangerous situations from patrons jumping in front of trains, leaving needles in the bathroom, and physically assaulting BART employees. In addition, there are those who are just plain rude and nasty. Face it: Commuters going to a job they may not like, are not always the nicest people. Those of you working in your cubicles do not, I would imagine, get your life, limb, or your well-being threatened too terribly often. So if you perceive a BART employee appearing to just sit there, perhaps they are recovering from a verbal assault or they just witnessed a suicide attempt. And perhaps you can issue him or her empathy rather than judgement.