SF: 4th Day of Sick-out Feared

NOTE: Tonight the light-rail worker flat out disappeared without so much as calling in sick. I'm going broke paying taxi fares.


A day after San Francisco's city attorney filed a charge of unfair labor practices against the city's transit drivers' union, there was still no official word early Thursday that operators would call an end to their sick-out protest over an unpopular labor contract.

Buses and trains were operating at about 70 percent of their normal service Wednesday, up from 50 percent a day earlier and from 33 percent on Monday, agency spokesman Paul Rose said.

The agency and its workers are at odds over a new contract. Workers overwhelmingly rejected a contract proposal on Friday that union officials said would have resulted in a pay cut.

City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed the charge with California state labor officials. Herrera said the contract between Transport Workers Union Local 250-A and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency forbids strikes and work stoppages such as the sick-out.

"This is an unfortunate attempt by the union to get around a law and contract provisions they don't like," he said.

The union's president, Eric Williams, said Tuesday that the labor group has nothing to do with the sick calls and urged those who called in sick to be prepared to have a doctor's note. Union officials weren't immediately available for comment Wednesday.

The agency known as Muni runs buses, light rail and street cars in addition to the cable cars and serves about 700,000 passengers each day. Its operators, represented by Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, rejected the contract by a 1,198-42 vote Friday, according to totals on the union's website.

The workers are not allowed to go on strike, but they can call in sick.

Transit officials said those who reported being sick must confirm they were ill to get sick pay and could be subject to discipline up to being fired.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/4th-day-sick-feared-24003516