San Fran Bay Area transit workers go on strike
Source: CBS
OAKLAND, Calif. Commuters braced for traffic snarls Monday morning as two of San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit's largest unions went on strike, halting train service for the first time in 16 years.
Weekend talks between the unions and management failed to produce a new contract, ensuring a nightmarish journey ahead for commuters.
The strike was called as Service Employees International Union Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 workers' contracts expired at midnight Sunday. Both the unions and management earlier in the day had said they were far apart on key sticking points including salary, pensions, health care and safety.
"I'm deeply disappointed it has come to this," ATU Local President Antonette Bryant told reporters at a midnight news conference.
FULL story and video at link.
Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57591713/san-fran-bay-area-transit-workers-on-strike/
= new reply since forum marked as read
but I'm in the Bay Area. AC Transit, the bus system that serves Oakland and vicinity, also had its contracts expire. Yet their union -- also ATU -- hasn't struck yet. If it does, the entire East Bay would be sealed off -- right when I needed to get up there this weekend. 
