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Ending 8 Months of Strikes and Negotiations, BART Union Approves New Contract

Bay Area Rapid Transit workers' largest union ratified its contract with the agency on Monday, closing eight months of negotiations that resulted in two strikes that snarled traffic throughout the region and during which two workers were fatally struck by a train.

Bay Area Rapid Transit workers' largest union ratified its contract with the agency on Monday, closing eight months of negotiations that resulted in two strikes that snarled traffic throughout the region and during which two workers were fatally struck by a train.

Service Employees International Union spokeswoman Cecille Isidro said in a statement on Monday that 87 percent of SEIU members voted to approve the four-year contract, which will include employee raises and measures to improve safety.

The measures include increased lighting in tunnels and stations, committees to begin the process of reopening station bathrooms, and an electronic tracking system to flag unresolved safety hazards.

Caroline Cournoyer is GOVERNING's senior web editor.
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