San Francisco files charges against tram drivers’ union over sickout

CABLE car drivers in an entire city have called in sick for the third day in a row, but what’s really going on?

SAN FRANCISCO .. for Chris Bisogni story .. Market St Cable Car ready to pick up tourists and shoppers

SAN Francisco's famed cable cars remained idle on Wednesday morning on the third day of a worker sickout, but light-rail trains and buses returned to their regular routes as service improved.

Workers and the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency 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.

San Francisco’s city attorney filed a charge of unfair labour practices against the city’s transit drivers’ union Wednesday.

The drivers' union president, Eric Williams, said Tuesday that the labour group has nothing to do with the sick calls and urged those who called out to be prepared to have a doctor's note.

Cable cars sit idle as workers call in sick.

City attorney Dennis Herrera filed the charge with California state labour 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 has said the group has nothing to do with any sick-outs. Union officials weren’t immediately available for comment Wednesday.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency was operating at about 70 per cent of its normal service, up from 50 per cent a day earlier and 33 per cent on Monday, spokesman Paul Rose said.

Rose said cable cars could also resume service in the afternoon.

“The fact that we have more vehicles on the street than the last two days leaves us cautiously optimistic,” he said.

The city has filed charges against the union.

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.

The contract that Muni workers rejected would have given them a raise of more than 11 per cent over two years. However, it also would have required them to cover a 7.5 per cent pension payment currently paid by the transit agency, said Rose, the agency spokesman.

The contract would have increased operator pay to $32 an hour, making them the second highest paid transit workers in the country, Rose said.

Williams said other city workers were getting a better pension deal than Muni drivers.

“Our members are hardworking, and all we want is fairness,” Williams said.

Originally published as San Francisco files charges against tram drivers’ union over sickout