S.F. city attorney files legal charges to halt Muni sickout

Source: SF Chronicle

(06-04) 20:13 PDT SAN FRANCISCO -- As Muni limped through the third day of an apparent operator sickout Wednesday, city officials moved to snuff out the protest by filing legal charges against the operators' union and vowing to seek financial damages. The transit system remained hobbled by the drivers' action, but managed to roll out far more buses and trains than on Monday and Tuesday.

San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera filed legal charges Wednesday with the state Public Employment Relations Board. He alleged that Transport Workers Union Local 250-A, despite taking a neutral position on a proposed contract vote, privately urged its members to defeat the tentative agreement, then "fomented and supported" an illegal work stoppage by encouraging operators to call in sick.

"This is an unfortunate attempt by the union to get around a law and contract provisions they don't like," Herrera said. "The (City) Charter is clear that an impasse such as this one is resolved with neutral arbitration. Let's do what the law says, begin the arbitration process and get San Francisco moving again as soon as humanly possible."

While the sickout continued to affect the Bay Area's largest transit system on Wednesday, service seemed considerably improved.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/S-F-city-attorney-files-legal-charges-to-halt-5527895.php