DSA Joins With Others to Support Bart Strikers and Their Union

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) joins with the broad labor and social justice community in the Bay Area (including Jobs with Justice and the Chinese Progressive Association) in supporting the strikers of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).

Even after the BART employees, represented by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 1021 and Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, and BART management were nearing a difficult economic agreement, management insisted that workers sacrifice long established work rules. The union negotiators offered to submit the rules to impartial binding arbitration, but the BART management team, led by a highly paid union busting attorney, refused. This precipitated the strike.

DSA, which is celebrating its National Convention in Emeryville the weekend of October 25‐27 ( see post below) will face some of the inconveniences faced by 400,000 Bay Area commuters. But we join with the broad Bay Area progressive community in unconditionally supporting the BART workers in their fight for a fair contract. We reject this new assault on public sector workers and their unions. The BART unions have helped thousands of people of color and immigrants to gain secure and stable jobs, and BART workers are fighting to retain those conditions of work, which we all want to have.

We stand with them in their just struggle.

For the Bay Area Chinese Progressive Association statement on the strike see:

http://www.cpasf.org/standwithbartworkers

For the Bay Area Jobs with Justice statement on the strike see:

http://portside.org/2013‐10‐19/support‐bay‐area‐transit‐strikers