BART spent millions during 9 months of contract talks

From expenses to walkout losses, the price for BART's troubled, drawn-out contract talks last year came to $8.4 million. From expenses to walkout losses, the price for BART's troubled, drawn-out contract talks last year came to $8.4 million. Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Photo: Michael Short, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 53 Caption Close BART spent millions during 9 months of contract talks 1 / 53 Back to Gallery

From takeout pizza to top-dollar consultants, BART spent $2.2 million during nine months of contract talks that most everyone agrees turned out disastrously.

In a particularly strong dose of salt for BART's wound, nearly half that total paid the salaries of the army of 53 union negotiators who took time off their jobs to work on the deal.

Add in the $1.2 million for charter buses that BART paid for to shuttle frustrated commuters during a pair of strikes - and the $5 million BART lost during those walkouts - and the out-the-door price tag for the transit agency hit $8.4 million.

BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost said the money the district spent on consultants and the like was intended "to avoid entering into contracts which would have negative and profound financial impacts for BART and passenger service for years to come."

Board member Zachary Mallet, however, questioned whether the strategy paid off.

"If we didn't cave in the end, it might have been worth it in the long haul," Mallett said. "As it is, it wasn't worth it."

Antonette Bryant, head of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 - one of the unions that walked out twice - said, in effect, don't blame us.

"We were doing everything we could to resolve the contract, and everything was in place to get that done," she said. "It's clear from the district's action that they wanted us to be out on strike."

According to figures provided to us under a state Public Records Act request, BART spent an estimated $1.2 million on outside consultants brought in to help management with the negotiations.

About a third of the consulting fees - $430,997 - went to Veolia Transportation, the firm headed by BART's lead negotiator, Thomas Hock. He wasn't around for the final deal - Veolia's contract lapsed before it was all over, and BART didn't renew once it became clear he'd somehow missed the infamous provision that would have granted workers six weeks a year of paid family leave.

The No. 2 consultant, Bruce Conhain from Gummerson and Conhain in Fairfield - who took the lead after Hock's exit - received $247,000. Three other consultants - Rumi Ueno, and the firms Beeson, Tayer and Bodine, and Bintelx Inc. - were paid roughly $100,000 each for services that ranged from legal work to creating budget models.

BART also paid $165,680 to a pair of outside public-relations types, Rick Rice and Sam Singer, to help sell the district's story.

BART picked up the wages for union negotiators because federal labor law requires it. Nearly three months after our initial information request, however, BART still can't tell us how much each of those 53 union negotiators was paid.

What we do know is that 28 of them worked full time on the talks during the final six months of negotiations. At an average salary of $70,000 a year, that would put the cost of their participation during that period alone at close to $1 million.

Even small items added up during the drawn-out talks. Agency records show that BART General Manager Grace Crunican and her in-house bargaining team spent $4,704 on takeout food - including one pizza order for $271.

The biggest winner: Nick's Plaza Cafe of Oakland, which got $2,598 in sandwich orders.

As for fallout from the talks, BART's director of human relations was recently let go by the district, and the tensions between management and the unions remain high - with one particular source of friction being the two track workers who were struck and killed by a BART train during the strike in October.

Bryant blames the district for "blatant and arrogant negligence," telling us, "Those people should not have died."

Demo dominoes: Rep. George Miller's decision to retire at the end of his term is sending dominoes toppling from Danville to Sacramento.

In a heartbeat, state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, went from being the likely runner-up for the top Senate job to front-runner to replace Miller. He's likely to have a lock on major labor and party endorsements - including Miller's.

For a brief 24 hours, neighboring Democratic Rep. John Garamendi toyed with jumping districts, but backed off after it became clear that DeSaulnier would stay in the race even if Garamendi joined him.

Up-and-coming Walnut Creek Mayor Kristina Lawson and state Assemblywoman Joan Buchanan, D-Alamo, may hop in as well.

It's an open primary, so two Democrats could wind up slugging it out in the final round.

And while the bulk of the district votes are in DeSaulnier's neck of the woods, Buchanan's neighborhood has the higher voter turnout.

One play to watch: Although some pols are talking about running for Congress, their true intention may be lining up support to replace DeSaulnier in Sacramento if he wins.