BART unions give notice of strike

Commuters load the ferry to San Francisco at the Alameda Harbor Bay Terminal in Alameda, Calif., on Friday, June 28, 2013. Bart has a Sunday night deadline to reach agreements before the workers' current contract expires. Commuters are bracing for alternative transportation in case of a Bart strike. less Commuters load the ferry to San Francisco at the Alameda Harbor Bay Terminal in Alameda, Calif., on Friday, June 28, 2013. Bart has a Sunday night deadline to reach agreements before the workers' current ... more Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close BART unions give notice of strike 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

Consider yourselves warned: BART unions officially gave notice late Thursday night that they could shut down the transit system when their contracts expire at 11:59 p.m. Sunday.

Union officials did not elaborate on their decision, saying they would provide more details about their decision Friday at a 10 a.m. press conference.

Union representatives gave the 72-hour notice, which is not required, as a courtesy to passengers so they could plan ahead. The notice does not guarantee that employees will strike at midnight.

The BART unions - Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555 and Service Employees International Union Local 1021 - have been meeting daily with transit officials to come up with a new labor agreement, and are scheduled to meet Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

The unions representing train operators, station agents, mechanics, maintenance workers and professional staff want BART to give them a raise and to protect their health care and pension benefits.

While ridership on BART has reached 400,000, generating an operating surplus, the agency has said it needs to trim costs to pay for $16 billion in major system upgrades over the next 10-15 years.

Regional transportation officials are warning the public that a strike would lead to thousands more cars crowding the freeways and bridges, particularly during peak hours. Commuters should delay trips or work from home, if possible, they advise. Other transit operators, including AC Transit and San Francisco Bay Ferry, have agreed to boost service with extra buses and boats, and BART is considering running charter buses from some of its stations.