As part of his commitment to transparency around the construction of the new veterans’ healthcare facility, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) will host a virtual veterans town hall to update the community on the progress of the project and to discuss the pressing issues facing our nation’s veterans.
On Thursday, December 10th, from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, Congressman McNerney will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to take questions and listen to concerns from constituents.
Join Online:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88948595816?pwd=SGZzOS9EUXZnWUU4ZkNza3ZaUWNtdz09
Passcode: 148324
Join by Phone:
(312) 626-6799
Webinar ID: 889 4859 5816
Passcode: 148324
Additionally, constituents can submit a question in advance of the event here.
Since coming to Congress, Congressman McNerney has led the efforts for the development of the French Camp facility – from working with federal and local officials on selection of the building site to securing the funding for construction. He has pushed to expedite the project, sending several letters to authorities, meeting regularly with VA and Corps officials, and urging that ongoing correspondence and updates be made available to his office and the public. This project hit a major milestone in November of 2019 when Congressman McNerney attended the groundbreaking ceremony of this facility.
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The Environmental Justice Community Survey launched by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) closes this Friday, December 11th. The survey takes just a few minutes and is intended to gather perspectives from community members who live or work in the Stockton, Sacramento, and Antioch region and the small towns in between. Your input is crucial to identifying the potential impacts and benefits of the proposed Delta tunnel known as the Conveyance Project.
Don’t wait – if you haven’t already, take the survey today – and share with others in the Delta region!
| Click here to TAKE THE SURVEY TODAY! |
About the Survey
Through the “Your Delta, Your Voice” survey, DWR is specifically aiming to engage those who live or work in the Delta region and are often not adequately represented in public processes by seeking direct input from low income residents and workers, people of color, limited English speakers, Tribal members and other underrepresented communities.
They survey has two primary goals. One is to accurately reflect how the members of a variety of Delta communities value the region’s cultural, recreational and natural resources, through a series of questions and a map that allows people to identify places that are special to them. The other is to seek input about ways the project may cause impacts to these resources or potentially bring benefits to Delta communities.
Spread the Word
Please help spread the word about the survey by forwarding this email to those in your network so the voices of the Delta’s diverse communities can be heard.
You can also share the survey on social media using the following links:
Share on Facebook: English | Español | 中文
Share on Twitter: English | Español | 中文
An event to connect constituents with free skills-training programs
By Nikki Cannon, Communications Director
As COVID-19 has changed many aspects of Americans lives, including career trajectories and prospects, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) has announced a collaborative event with the software company Salesforce to help his constituents learn in-demand skills and expand employment opportunities.
The workshop, entitled Skill Up for the Future with Trailhead, will take place on Wednesday, December 9th, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, using the Salesforce learning platform, Trailhead.
Join Online:
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/live/broadcasts/a2r3k000001n2SR/trailhead-tour-stockton
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Grants increase access to health care, improve economic security and address mental health and wellness
By Kerri Leedy, PR and Media Relations Manager, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Dec. 7, 2020 – To address the health needs of the community, Kaiser Permanente in the Diablo Area has awarded $1.1 million in grants focused on increasing access to health care and coverage, improving economic security and addressing mental health and wellness.
The Kaiser Permanente funding to 28 non-profit organizations will help low-income, at-risk communities in Central and East Contra Costa County, and the Tri-Valley area of Alameda County.
The 28 grants are aligned with Kaiser Permanente’s mission of improving the health of our members and the communities we serve. Kaiser Permanente recognizes that many factors impact health including social, economic and environmental conditions in the community. Through support of local non-profit organizations, Kaiser Permanente is working toward improving health for all.
“Our communities are facing significant and unprecedented challenges,” said Marty Ardron, Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo Service Area. “These organizations are committed to helping by providing vital health and mental health care, housing, and food assistance. We are proud to support them.”
The following nonprofit organizations received support from Kaiser Permanente:
Increasing Access to Care:
| Axis Community Health | Supporting Complex Patients with Case Management Services |
| Brighter Beginnings | Increasing Access to Healthcare in Antioch |
| Contra Costa County | COVID-19 Ambassadors Project |
| District Council Contra Costa County Society of St. Vincent de Paul | RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul |
| La Clinica de La Raza, Inc. | Connecting Families to Health Care |
| Planned Parenthood: Shasta Diablo Inc., DBA Planned Parenthood Northern California (PPNC) | Promotores: Increasing Access to Health Care |
| RotaCare Bay Area | Provision of Healthcare to Contra Costa County’s Uninsured Population |
Improving Economic Security:
| Alameda County Community Food Bank | Farm Fresh Produce Program |
| Contra Costa Crisis Center | Thrive Local Contra Costa: Follow up services for homeless 211 callers |
| Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano | Food Distribution in Contra Costa County |
| FRESH APPROACH | Access to Nutritious Foods in East Contra Costa County |
| Hope Solutions (formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing, Inc.) | Key steps: Path to Permanent Housing and Healing |
| Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa | Nourishing Lives Through Food |
| Monument Crisis Center | Ingredients for a Healthy 2020-21 |
| Open Heart Kitchen of Livermore Inc | Hot Meals Program |
| Opportunity Junction, Inc. | Administrative Careers Training to Improve Economic Security for Low Income Adults |
| SHELTER, Inc. | Supporting the Behavioral Health of Homeless Families |
| Trinity Center Walnut Creek | Youth Wellness Advocacy |
Addressing Mental Health and Wellness:
| Family Justice Center of Contra Costa | Thrive Local Contra Costa |
| Antioch Unified School District | Mental Health & Wellness Initiative |
| Counseling Options & Parent Education, (C.O.P.E.) | Road to Recovery |
| Fred Finch Youth Center | Contra Costa County School Based Services |
| Lincoln | Trauma-Informed Care |
| Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District | Parent Outreach Coordinator |
| Mindful Life Project | Countering ACE’s with Innovative Mindfulness Programming in East Contra Costa County |
| Monument Impact | Mentes Positivas En Acción |
| Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa | Educating the ARC of ACEs within out LGBTQ+ Communities through and Intersectional Lens |
| Rubicon Programs Inc. | Wellness, Work, and Mobility |
About Kaiser Permanente
For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care — and helping our members, patients and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente’s mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. http://about.kaiserpermanente.org.
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Prior to the stay-at-home order issued by the governor, earlier this year, Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito was supposed to perform live at Antioch’s historic, El Campanil Theatre. Instead, as you stay at home, again this time, you can watch one of his concerts, tonight on PBS’s KQED SF channel 9, tonight at 9:30 p.m.
Pasquale takes the audience on a musical journey from Teatro Politeama in Naples, Italy sharing songs and stories that have influenced his life and music career.
Don’t miss this opportunity to support KQED and take home one of many gifts including the full DVD and Double CD of the IL Tempo program. If you donate at any level of support, you will also get VIP access to Pasquale’s Valentine Virtual Concert on February 14, 2021. Click HERE to watch the show live streamed at 9:30 p.m.
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Photos by EBRPD.
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District
Effective 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 2020, all campgrounds, outdoor museums (visitor centers), and children’s playgrounds at East Bay Regional Park District locations will be closed until further notice as mandated by the six Bay Area county regional health officers’ order announced yesterday.
Facility Closures Include:
- Ardenwood Historic Farm
- Regional Parks Botanic Garden
- Regional Park visitor centers remain closed, including Black Diamond, Big Break, Coyote Hills, Crab Cove, Sunol and Tilden
Campgrounds Closures Include:
- Del Valle Regional Park (Livermore)
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park (Oakland)
- Robert Sibley Regional Preserve Backpack Campground (Oakland)
Future camp reservations through made through January 4 will be cancelled, including for the Sibley backpack camp, and customers will receive full refunds.
Outdoor activity is encouraged by health officials during the new Regional Stay Home Order. The Park District reminds visitors that spending time in nature is important for mental and physical health and wellbeing. To keep yourselves and Park District staff safe when visiting regional parks and trails, please wear masks when within six feet of others and recreate responsibly. Please keep parks safe for everyone by following all COVID-19 safety requirements.
The California sector closures and restrictions on activity under the State’s Regional Stay Home Order are described here.
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By Matt Lardner, Census Outreach Coordinator, Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County achieved the third highest Census 2020 self-response rate of all California counties with a rate of 77.4% for the once-a-decade count of all residents. The County’s self-response rate also surpassed its Census 2010 rate of 72.1% by more than five points or a 7.4% increase.
The County’s Census 2020 self-response rate outperformed the country’s 67% and the state’s 69.6% self-response rates. Nearly all of the cities in the County surpassed their 2010 rates, and those that did not were within 1% of doing so. See response rates by city in Contra Costa County in this Census 2020 report.
Contra Costa County’s Complete Count Steering Committee and 67 community based organizations collaborated on the Census 2020 count. The County’s high response rate is owed in large part to the work of cities, agency and community partners, and trusted messengers who helped reach Contra Costa residents, including hard-to-count populations.
“Our success in Contra Costa County could not have happened without the strong partnerships with our local non-profits and community based organizations,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis, Chair of the Complete Count Committee. “We have built lasting relationships and capacity that will be mutually beneficial as we collaborate on outreach in all aspects of our work.”
“Thanks to all of the residents who responded to the Census. You have guaranteed that Contra Costa County will receive its fair share of representation and much-needed funding for critical programs and infrastructure for the next decade,” said District 2 Supervisor and Board Chair Candace Andersen, Vice-Chair of the Complete Count Committee.
Now the U.S. Census Bureau will prepare the data to present to the President on December 31, 2020. The redistricting process will begin in Spring 2021.
Information about Contra Costa County’s Census 2020 outreach and impact are available at www.cococensus.org.
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By Matt Malone, Public Information Officer, Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County
COVID-19 cases have spiked, resulting in a new stay-at-home order for the county effective this weekend. To limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the Court will enact a LIMITED COURT CLOSURE effective Monday, December 7, 2020, and until further notice.
THE COURT WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. Exceptions are criminal preliminary hearing witnesses, attorneys, and defendants in matters with time not waived. Masks are required for entry.
JURY TRIALS ARE SUSPENDED. Criminal preliminary hearings with time not waived will proceed.
JURY SERVICE. Jurors summonsed to report on or before January 11, 2021: Your service has been completed. You do not need to call or report for jury duty.
THE COURT WILL NOTIFY YOU OF RESET HEARINGS. If your matter is to be reset, the Court will notify you of the new date, with hearings to be by Zoom or CourtCall. Instructions and links for Zoom/CourtCall, public access to audio streaming where available, and court calendars may be found on our Court Calendar webpage.
ALL CLERK’S OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. FILINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED BY MAIL OR DROP BOX ONLY. The limited closure is NOT a Court holiday for filing deadlines. Drop boxes will be available from 8 A.M. – 4 P.M at the following locations:
Civil: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. o Criminal: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez.
- Family: Main entrance of Family Law building in Martinez.
- Juvenile: Main entrance of the Walnut Creek Courthouse.
- Probate: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez.
- Pittsburg and Richmond courthouses: These drop boxes are available only for filings in case types heard at those locations.
ALL COURT RECORDS OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED. See the Criminal Records and Civil Records webpages for the process for records requests by mail.
This public health situation is urgent and constantly changing. Accordingly, the Court anticipates further press releases providing more details on Court operations over the next 30-60 days. Please visit the Court website for updated information.
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State Senator Steve Glazer and screenshot of BART Board meeting, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020.
Board approves contract “after secret negotiations were held during BART Directors’ campaign elections” he said.
“…giving space to someone who can’t pronounce our past GM’s name or spell eBART correctly and someone who makes false claim after false claim is a disservice to the public and spreads lies.” – BART Director Li
“These agreements offer BART budgetary stability as we plan our recovery from COVID-19.” – Board V.P. Foley who voted in support.
“The contract extensions come seven months before the contracts are due to expire, locking in employee costs at pre-pandemic levels…at the level that it was when we were carrying 410,000 riders each week day and now we carry about 50 (thousand).” – BART Director Allen
By Allen Payton
In an attempt to get them to reconsider the proposed labor contract with employee unions, State Senator Steve Glazer challenged the BART Board during their meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3. He asked why they were considering the contract long before it’s set to expire, and more is known about the impacts of COVID-19 next year. In response, he was called a liar by one director.
Nevertheless, the BART Board voted 7-2 in favor of the contract, with Directors Debora Allen from Contra Costa County and Liz Ames from Alameda County casting the votes against. Board Vice President Mark Foley who represents other portions of Contra Costa County voted in favor of the contract extension.
Glazer issued a statement earlier this week about BART’s announcement “on Thanksgiving eve…(about) a tentative labor contract with their represented groups, after secret negotiations were held during BART Directors’ campaign elections.”
“Along with other specific contract changes, this tentative agreement is premature and a big mistake and will likely harm BART riders, commuters and taxpayers through fare hikes and service erosion,” his statement continued.
Glazer read most of the statement during the Thursday meeting, but offering additional comment.
“I want to be clear what I have to say reflects my views of accountability and trust that the public expects from all of us,” he said. “I think we all agree that BART is in a financial meltdown due to the pandemic and it’s not clear to me that you have a clear plan for recovery. The district’s own financial analysis projects a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars by next summer amidst the steepest decline in ridership in your agency’s history. My view, the district needs all the flexibility it can to avoid a financial disaster. Yet, BART is tying its hands with this agreement.”
“In the first half of 2021 BART will have a clearer idea about the COVID-19 vaccine availability, ridership improvements, any potential financial bailout assistance from the federal government, and the results of your early retirement incentives that have already been offered to existing employees,” Glazer explained. “All of these potential outcomes will provide important budgetary insight that should shape any new contract terms. But instead of waiting for that information, you are now rushing to approve a contract, negotiated behind closed doors, with no public notice and it will prevent you from making any kind of targeted salary reductions if your revenues do not recover. This will likely lead to service reductions and fare increases which will hurt the very people you are here to serve.”
His statement issued on Monday adds, “BART is leaving few options but to lay off employees and curtail the number of trains, which would further depress ridership and deepen the agency’s financial crisis.
“So, I come here with a question,” Glazer continued during the meeting. “The current labor contract with your representative employee groups doesn’t expire until July 1st, 2021. So, why did the district make an early agreement with so many economic unknowns?”
“It’s my understanding that BART has not even done a salary survey of other transit districts and public agencies to determine if the current salaries called for in this agreement are needed to recruit and retain qualified employees, basic data needed to inform any effective negotiation,” he said. “I question whether the failure to conduct a salary survey is keeping with board policy and procedures.”
“Now, the public was never told when your negotiations started. I’m told these negotiations were initiated by the Board in September and October. If true, that means that directors were negotiating with BART unions on their salaries and benefits on one hand, while asking the same unions for campaign contributions with the other hand. This is an outrageous injection of politics in a hugely consequential employer-employee agreement. And by setting the terms of the agreement at three years rather than four years based on past contract durations, the future contract will be negotiated during another election year.”
“You know that, Board members, before you came to this board for the most of you, had worked for a long time to ensure the contract negotiations would not be immersed in politics and election year circumstances. So, that four-year duration was done purposely. You unravel that in this proposed contract before you.
“In this agreement, for the most part, you’ve abandoned any of the work rule changes that were central to the 2013 contract negotiations. Where have those work rules been laid out, publicly disclosed and discussed, so that we can understand why they’ve been abandoned in this agreement.”
“You know, when the strike happened in 2013, BART management was clear that the work rules were probably more important than the salaries and benefits being negotiated. It had that kind of consequence and impact on the agency. But there’s a complete void of understanding or knowledge about what efforts were made to negotiate those work rules.”
It reversed important e-BART reforms that were instituted by former General Manager Grace Crunican. Again, BART, the board members, and the management (were) very involved in establishing those eBART reforms which you’re throwing out in this proposed contract.”
So, it’s not surprising to me, that you are moving forward with due haste to approve these negotiations and rush this contract through with very little public review, and I think that it’s because the details and the consequences are uncomfortable.
“I would hope that you will reconsider what you are doing, today and take a more deliberate and cautious approach to these negotiations as you consider the full impact of the pandemic on our economy. It would be best for your financial well-being and more importantly for BART riders throughout the Bay Area.”
“In conclusion, let me just say that the foundation of your service as board members is to ensure that this transportation system is able to function during good times and bad times. This contract continues the limitation against training management to run the trains during a work stoppage. So, all of BART riders, many of them low-income people who can’t afford to stay home, will be prevented from getting to work under this contract provision. We’re talking about teachers and nurses, social workers, grocery clerks and other essential workers, who will all be left stranded if your trains stop running because you created this self-inflicted problem.”
“This strike protection provision is an abdication of your sacred duty and will limit future boards from helping the commuters when matters cannot be worked out at the bargaining table. And listen, we all would strongly hope that all matters can be worked out at the bargaining table.”
In his issued statement, Glazer included, “BART’s management doesn’t want the public to see what they are doing because they know that BART riders and other Bay Area residents would not support this agreement if they understood its details and its consequences.”
The BART Directors then took up the issue of the labor union contract.
General Manager Robert Powers responded to Glazer, saying, “I was the one…negotiating these tentative agreements with our labor partners. There were no elected officials in those discussions. I was supported primarily by our chief labor negotiations officer as well as our AGM of Operations. I wanted to be…crystal clear that it was me leading these negotiations under the authorization granted to me by the BART Board.”
During public comments, Sal Cruz, president of AFSCME Local 3093 said, “Our work has accelerated during this pandemic at great risk to our employees, as we position ourselves for the recovery we know will come. Proper positioning will be critical for the survival of all transit and for the Bay Area economy that is now linked to BART. Thank you for your leadership during these challenging times. Every transit agency in the country is in the same position as you are, now. The decision before you, today, is not an easy one. But it allows us to focus on rebuilding o ur system, continuing to provide safe transportation for our essential workers and preparing for the return of our riders. The workforce is behind you, the riders are behind you and the Bay Area is behind you.”
Li Calls Out Glazer
BART Director Li speaks in favor of the contract. Video screenshot of board meeting, Dec. 3, 2020.
BART Director Janice Li, who represents District 8 which includes portions of San Francisco, spoke next calling out Glazer for lying, mispronouncing the past general manager and misspelling eBART (it was spelled “e-Bart” in his statement from earlier in the week.
“I am proud to vote yes on this action, today. A yes vote, today is a yes vote for BART, is a yes for our riders and a very, very important yes for our workers,” she said. “Voting no makes BART an enemy to our workers and our riders.”
“There has been a lot of talk about this decision coming forward as too early or as a result of private meetings. I just want to be very clear that this claim is factually not true,” she stated. “First, I’m a member of the board’s labor negotiations review committee. We have been meeting since May of this year, then again in July, then again in August. These meetings are open to the public. They are publicly noticed and at subsequent board meetings we always give updates during board reports.”
“Second, we have held multiple closed session meetings regarding labor relations in recent months, and once again they have always been noticed as part of our board agenda,” Li continued. “Third, people who are saying that this is too early are saying that because the financial situation ahead is so unclear and that the board should wait until more is known. The truth is that things will inevitably change. But our staff has been doing excellent work in scenario planning and being transparent about all the potential futures, both good and bad. Furthermore, this contract is not one in the same as our budget revisions. In fact, this does not mean layoffs can’t or won’t happen. So, saying that by voting, yes it ties our hands or limits our options is incorrect.”
“And fourth, respectfully, I strongly refute the false claims made by Senator Glazer. Honestly, giving space to someone who can’t pronounce our past GM’s name or spell eBART correctly and someone who makes false claim after false claim is a disservice to the public and spreads lies. The idea that this was timed with elections is wrong and I will speak for myself, I was not up for election, re-election and I have not raised a cent for re-election, this year and I was not even endorsed by unions when I first ran in 2018.”
“So, what we actually have before us is a result of an incredible collaboration between BART management and labor unions and at the end of the day, who benefits?” she asked. “It’s our riders.”
She then thanked “the entire BART team for rebuilding trust with our labor unions and of course I want to thank our labor union partners for being collaborative at an incredibly difficult time.”
“As a board member I’m incredibly grateful that this decision is coming to us sooner rather than later so we can get back to focusing on running a safe system for our essential workers and implement a successful recovery plan during and through the pandemic that has raged every public transit agency, every public institution and every aspect of our lives. Let’s vote yes on this, today and if you remember our new slogan from the board workshop, earlier this year which, I know feels like years ago, ‘Let’s Go,’” she concluded.
Allen Offers Arguments Against Contract
BART Director Debora Allen speaks during the board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Video screenshot.
Director Allen spoke against the contracts and supported what Glazer said.
“First, I want to touch on the private meetings because that seems to be a contentious little dialogue. I believe that is absolutely how these contracts come to be,” she said. “It is unfortunate the board discussion about these agreements doesn’t happen in public session. I believe we shouldn’t be discussing the contract extensions in closed door sessions where board members may say things that they would not say in public. In addition, I really do believe not enough of our own closed board discussion has occurred prior to this day of ratification.”
“There’s so much operational uncertainty, right now for BART and I’m not comfortable that the financial projections and plan give us the data we need for this decision,” Allen continued. “It’s really hard to say whether these are fair contracts. But despite having received $377 million in federal CARES Act subsidies already, this year, BART projects another $210 million deficit over the next 18 months and that is the case after we slashed the capital and pension funding allocations from the Fiscal Year ‘21 budget, along with the load shedding to the capital budget that has occurred throughout this year.”
“From my view we should be receiving regular updates of projected deficits for three years…and that information should be part of any decision by this board to extend labor contracts for three years out. They go together. Labor is 80% of our budget,” she stated.
“So, now we are all hopeful that another $377 million will come to us from D.C. and we’re hopeful that the retirement incentive will induce enough people to retire from exactly the right positions that we can afford to eliminate which we know is not really a reasonable assumption. We already know that some people are retiring from positions that we are going to have to turn around and refill,” Allen said. “We shouldn’t be budgeting to hopeful or aspiration. This is what we did back in June when we passed the budget, and it didn’t work out. We really projected far more revenue than we have. But, if even if those other things come true…it will likely only fund another three-quarters to one year of operating deficits. And it won’t do anything to make up for the lack of capital funding and pension funding that we put aside in ’21 and are likely to do, again in Fiscal Year ’22.”
“The contract extensions come seven months before the contracts are due to expire, locking in employee costs at pre-pandemic levels even as revenue projects remain wildly uncertain well into the next couple of years,” she explained. “Costs will be locked in at the level that it was when we were carrying 410,000 riders each weekday and now, we carry about 50 (thousand).”
Foley Speaks in Support
Board Vice President Mark Foley speaks on the matter during the meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Video screenshot.
Foley shared his thoughts in support of the contract.
“There was a lot of hard work that went in to making this happen. I am fully in support of this prudent approach to labor negotiations during the pandemic,” he said. “These agreements offer BART budgetary stability as we plan our recovery from COVID-19. A wage freeze, next year, coupled with two years, of at most, very modest increases, increases that are directly tied to returning ridership and BART’s financial recovery, is a responsible course of action to take.”
“More importantly, you know these contracts provide language to allow us to reopen negotiations, a necessary safety net during these challenging times,” Foley continued. “These proactive steps are being taken to hopefully avoid further service cuts, like closing stations, eliminating weekend service or laying off employees, employees that will be needed when we ramp up service.”
“And to those employees I say thank you. You are BART’s most important asset,” he stated. “We wouldn’t have been successful if not for the collaboration of your union leadership and union partners.”
“And lastly, I’d like to thank the district secretary’s office for bringing this item, publishing this agenda to the board, two days early rather than publishing it during the Thanksgiving holiday. This gave us additional transparency around this action. I urge my fellow board members to vote in support of these tentative agreements and I fully support this motion,” Foley concluded.
Other board members spoke, mainly in favor of the contract extension and they then voted 7-2 to approve.
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Not waiting until local hospitals are near crisis to act
By Contra Costa Health Services
Public Safety Alert text sent Friday afternoon, Dec.. 4, 2020.
Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced that all sectors other than retail and essential operations would be closed in regions of the State where less than 15 percent of ICU beds are available under a new Regional Stay-At-Home Order. Although health officials throughout the Bay Area are glad to see the State take action in light of the rapidly escalating surge in hospitalizations statewide, many believe even more aggressive action is necessary in the Bay Area to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed. (See related article)
Rather than waiting until Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed availability reaches critical levels and delaying closures that are inevitable, the Health Officers for the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley are jointly announcing that they will implement the State’s Regional Stay Home Order now.
“It takes several weeks for new restrictions to slow rising hospitalizations and waiting until only 15 percent of a region’s ICU beds are available is just too late,” said San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragon. “Many heavily impacted parts of our region already have less than 15 percent of ICU beds available, and the time to act is now.”
“We are seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations here in Contra Costa County and across our region,” said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Farnitano. “The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our county has doubled in just the past couple of weeks, and we are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity later this month if current trends continue.”
“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency break,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “We understand that the closures under the State order will have a profound impact on our local businesses. However, if we act quickly, we can both save lives and reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place, allowing businesses and activities to reopen much sooner.”
“Rising hospitalization rates across the region threaten not only our community members with severe COVID-19, but anyone who may need care because of a heart attack, stroke, accident, or other critical health need,” said Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss. “By acting together now we will have the greatest impact on the surge and save more lives.”
“Each of us can fight the spread,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer. “Keep your family safe by avoiding even small gatherings outside of your household and not traveling. We don’t want holiday gatherings and travel to create a spike of cases on top of the surge we’re already seeing.”
“Although Marin has fared better than some other counties in our region over the last few weeks, we know it is only a matter of time before rising case and hospitalization put pressure on our hospitals too,” said Marin County Health Officer Dr. Matthew Willis. “We must act now, and must act together to ensure all hospitals in the Bay Area have the capacity they need to care for our residents.”
Consistent with the State framework, the six jurisdictions are working to ensure that all sectors have at least 48-hour notice of these closures. Most of the Bay Area Health Officers will implement the State’s Regional Stay At Home Order as of Sunday December 6, 2020. In Alameda County, it is scheduled to take effect on Monday, December 7, 2020, and Marin County’s order will take effect Tuesday, December 8. The new restrictions will remain in place until January 4, 2021.
The sector closures and restrictions on activity under the State’s Regional Stay Home Order are described here.
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As part of his commitment to transparency around the construction of the new veterans’ healthcare facility, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) will host a virtual veterans town hall to update the community on the progress of the project and to discuss the pressing issues facing our nation’s veterans.
On Thursday, December 10th, from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, Congressman McNerney will be joined by representatives from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to take questions and listen to concerns from constituents.
Join Online:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88948595816?pwd=SGZzOS9EUXZnWUU4ZkNza3ZaUWNtdz09
Passcode: 148324
Join by Phone:
(312) 626-6799
Webinar ID: 889 4859 5816
Passcode: 148324
Additionally, constituents can submit a question in advance of the event here.
Since coming to Congress, Congressman McNerney has led the efforts for the development of the French Camp facility – from working with federal and local officials on selection of the building site to securing the funding for construction. He has pushed to expedite the project, sending several letters to authorities, meeting regularly with VA and Corps officials, and urging that ongoing correspondence and updates be made available to his office and the public. This project hit a major milestone in November of 2019 when Congressman McNerney attended the groundbreaking ceremony of this facility.
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The Environmental Justice Community Survey launched by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) closes this Friday, December 11th. The survey takes just a few minutes and is intended to gather perspectives from community members who live or work in the Stockton, Sacramento, and Antioch region and the small towns in between. Your input is crucial to identifying the potential impacts and benefits of the proposed Delta tunnel known as the Conveyance Project.
Don’t wait – if you haven’t already, take the survey today – and share with others in the Delta region!
| Click here to TAKE THE SURVEY TODAY! |
About the Survey
Through the “Your Delta, Your Voice” survey, DWR is specifically aiming to engage those who live or work in the Delta region and are often not adequately represented in public processes by seeking direct input from low income residents and workers, people of color, limited English speakers, Tribal members and other underrepresented communities.
They survey has two primary goals. One is to accurately reflect how the members of a variety of Delta communities value the region’s cultural, recreational and natural resources, through a series of questions and a map that allows people to identify places that are special to them. The other is to seek input about ways the project may cause impacts to these resources or potentially bring benefits to Delta communities.
Spread the Word
Please help spread the word about the survey by forwarding this email to those in your network so the voices of the Delta’s diverse communities can be heard.
You can also share the survey on social media using the following links:
Share on Facebook: English | Español | 中文
Share on Twitter: English | Español | 中文
An event to connect constituents with free skills-training programs
By Nikki Cannon, Communications Director
As COVID-19 has changed many aspects of Americans lives, including career trajectories and prospects, Congressman Jerry McNerney (CA-09) has announced a collaborative event with the software company Salesforce to help his constituents learn in-demand skills and expand employment opportunities.
The workshop, entitled Skill Up for the Future with Trailhead, will take place on Wednesday, December 9th, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, using the Salesforce learning platform, Trailhead.
Join Online:
https://trailhead.salesforce.com/live/broadcasts/a2r3k000001n2SR/trailhead-tour-stockton
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Grants increase access to health care, improve economic security and address mental health and wellness
By Kerri Leedy, PR and Media Relations Manager, Kaiser Permanente Northern California
WALNUT CREEK, Calif., Dec. 7, 2020 – To address the health needs of the community, Kaiser Permanente in the Diablo Area has awarded $1.1 million in grants focused on increasing access to health care and coverage, improving economic security and addressing mental health and wellness.
The Kaiser Permanente funding to 28 non-profit organizations will help low-income, at-risk communities in Central and East Contra Costa County, and the Tri-Valley area of Alameda County.
The 28 grants are aligned with Kaiser Permanente’s mission of improving the health of our members and the communities we serve. Kaiser Permanente recognizes that many factors impact health including social, economic and environmental conditions in the community. Through support of local non-profit organizations, Kaiser Permanente is working toward improving health for all.
“Our communities are facing significant and unprecedented challenges,” said Marty Ardron, Senior Vice President and Area Manager for Kaiser Permanente’s Diablo Service Area. “These organizations are committed to helping by providing vital health and mental health care, housing, and food assistance. We are proud to support them.”
The following nonprofit organizations received support from Kaiser Permanente:
Increasing Access to Care:
| Axis Community Health | Supporting Complex Patients with Case Management Services |
| Brighter Beginnings | Increasing Access to Healthcare in Antioch |
| Contra Costa County | COVID-19 Ambassadors Project |
| District Council Contra Costa County Society of St. Vincent de Paul | RotaCare Pittsburg Free Medical Clinic at St. Vincent de Paul |
| La Clinica de La Raza, Inc. | Connecting Families to Health Care |
| Planned Parenthood: Shasta Diablo Inc., DBA Planned Parenthood Northern California (PPNC) | Promotores: Increasing Access to Health Care |
| RotaCare Bay Area | Provision of Healthcare to Contra Costa County’s Uninsured Population |
Improving Economic Security:
| Alameda County Community Food Bank | Farm Fresh Produce Program |
| Contra Costa Crisis Center | Thrive Local Contra Costa: Follow up services for homeless 211 callers |
| Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano | Food Distribution in Contra Costa County |
| FRESH APPROACH | Access to Nutritious Foods in East Contra Costa County |
| Hope Solutions (formerly Contra Costa Interfaith Transitional Housing, Inc.) | Key steps: Path to Permanent Housing and Healing |
| Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa | Nourishing Lives Through Food |
| Monument Crisis Center | Ingredients for a Healthy 2020-21 |
| Open Heart Kitchen of Livermore Inc | Hot Meals Program |
| Opportunity Junction, Inc. | Administrative Careers Training to Improve Economic Security for Low Income Adults |
| SHELTER, Inc. | Supporting the Behavioral Health of Homeless Families |
| Trinity Center Walnut Creek | Youth Wellness Advocacy |
Addressing Mental Health and Wellness:
| Family Justice Center of Contra Costa | Thrive Local Contra Costa |
| Antioch Unified School District | Mental Health & Wellness Initiative |
| Counseling Options & Parent Education, (C.O.P.E.) | Road to Recovery |
| Fred Finch Youth Center | Contra Costa County School Based Services |
| Lincoln | Trauma-Informed Care |
| Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District | Parent Outreach Coordinator |
| Mindful Life Project | Countering ACE’s with Innovative Mindfulness Programming in East Contra Costa County |
| Monument Impact | Mentes Positivas En Acción |
| Rainbow Community Center of Contra Costa | Educating the ARC of ACEs within out LGBTQ+ Communities through and Intersectional Lens |
| Rubicon Programs Inc. | Wellness, Work, and Mobility |
About Kaiser Permanente
For 75 years, Kaiser Permanente has been committed to shaping the future of health and health care — and helping our members, patients and communities experience more healthy years. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Since July 21, 1945, Kaiser Permanente’s mission has been to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve 12.4 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. http://about.kaiserpermanente.org.
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Prior to the stay-at-home order issued by the governor, earlier this year, Italian tenor Pasquale Esposito was supposed to perform live at Antioch’s historic, El Campanil Theatre. Instead, as you stay at home, again this time, you can watch one of his concerts, tonight on PBS’s KQED SF channel 9, tonight at 9:30 p.m.
Pasquale takes the audience on a musical journey from Teatro Politeama in Naples, Italy sharing songs and stories that have influenced his life and music career.
Don’t miss this opportunity to support KQED and take home one of many gifts including the full DVD and Double CD of the IL Tempo program. If you donate at any level of support, you will also get VIP access to Pasquale’s Valentine Virtual Concert on February 14, 2021. Click HERE to watch the show live streamed at 9:30 p.m.
Read MorePhotos by EBRPD.
By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, East Bay Regional Park District
Effective 6:00 p.m. Sunday, December 6, 2020, all campgrounds, outdoor museums (visitor centers), and children’s playgrounds at East Bay Regional Park District locations will be closed until further notice as mandated by the six Bay Area county regional health officers’ order announced yesterday.
Facility Closures Include:
- Ardenwood Historic Farm
- Regional Parks Botanic Garden
- Regional Park visitor centers remain closed, including Black Diamond, Big Break, Coyote Hills, Crab Cove, Sunol and Tilden
Campgrounds Closures Include:
- Del Valle Regional Park (Livermore)
- Anthony Chabot Regional Park (Oakland)
- Robert Sibley Regional Preserve Backpack Campground (Oakland)
Future camp reservations through made through January 4 will be cancelled, including for the Sibley backpack camp, and customers will receive full refunds.
Outdoor activity is encouraged by health officials during the new Regional Stay Home Order. The Park District reminds visitors that spending time in nature is important for mental and physical health and wellbeing. To keep yourselves and Park District staff safe when visiting regional parks and trails, please wear masks when within six feet of others and recreate responsibly. Please keep parks safe for everyone by following all COVID-19 safety requirements.
The California sector closures and restrictions on activity under the State’s Regional Stay Home Order are described here.
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By Matt Lardner, Census Outreach Coordinator, Contra Costa County
Contra Costa County achieved the third highest Census 2020 self-response rate of all California counties with a rate of 77.4% for the once-a-decade count of all residents. The County’s self-response rate also surpassed its Census 2010 rate of 72.1% by more than five points or a 7.4% increase.
The County’s Census 2020 self-response rate outperformed the country’s 67% and the state’s 69.6% self-response rates. Nearly all of the cities in the County surpassed their 2010 rates, and those that did not were within 1% of doing so. See response rates by city in Contra Costa County in this Census 2020 report.
Contra Costa County’s Complete Count Steering Committee and 67 community based organizations collaborated on the Census 2020 count. The County’s high response rate is owed in large part to the work of cities, agency and community partners, and trusted messengers who helped reach Contra Costa residents, including hard-to-count populations.
“Our success in Contra Costa County could not have happened without the strong partnerships with our local non-profits and community based organizations,” said District 3 Supervisor Diane Burgis, Chair of the Complete Count Committee. “We have built lasting relationships and capacity that will be mutually beneficial as we collaborate on outreach in all aspects of our work.”
“Thanks to all of the residents who responded to the Census. You have guaranteed that Contra Costa County will receive its fair share of representation and much-needed funding for critical programs and infrastructure for the next decade,” said District 2 Supervisor and Board Chair Candace Andersen, Vice-Chair of the Complete Count Committee.
Now the U.S. Census Bureau will prepare the data to present to the President on December 31, 2020. The redistricting process will begin in Spring 2021.
Information about Contra Costa County’s Census 2020 outreach and impact are available at www.cococensus.org.
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By Matt Malone, Public Information Officer, Superior Court of California, Contra Costa County
COVID-19 cases have spiked, resulting in a new stay-at-home order for the county effective this weekend. To limit the risk of COVID-19 transmission, the Court will enact a LIMITED COURT CLOSURE effective Monday, December 7, 2020, and until further notice.
THE COURT WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. Exceptions are criminal preliminary hearing witnesses, attorneys, and defendants in matters with time not waived. Masks are required for entry.
JURY TRIALS ARE SUSPENDED. Criminal preliminary hearings with time not waived will proceed.
JURY SERVICE. Jurors summonsed to report on or before January 11, 2021: Your service has been completed. You do not need to call or report for jury duty.
THE COURT WILL NOTIFY YOU OF RESET HEARINGS. If your matter is to be reset, the Court will notify you of the new date, with hearings to be by Zoom or CourtCall. Instructions and links for Zoom/CourtCall, public access to audio streaming where available, and court calendars may be found on our Court Calendar webpage.
ALL CLERK’S OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC. FILINGS WILL BE ACCEPTED BY MAIL OR DROP BOX ONLY. The limited closure is NOT a Court holiday for filing deadlines. Drop boxes will be available from 8 A.M. – 4 P.M at the following locations:
Civil: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez. o Criminal: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez.
- Family: Main entrance of Family Law building in Martinez.
- Juvenile: Main entrance of the Walnut Creek Courthouse.
- Probate: Main Street entrance of the Wakefield Taylor Courthouse in Martinez.
- Pittsburg and Richmond courthouses: These drop boxes are available only for filings in case types heard at those locations.
ALL COURT RECORDS OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED. See the Criminal Records and Civil Records webpages for the process for records requests by mail.
This public health situation is urgent and constantly changing. Accordingly, the Court anticipates further press releases providing more details on Court operations over the next 30-60 days. Please visit the Court website for updated information.
Read MoreState Senator Steve Glazer and screenshot of BART Board meeting, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020.
Board approves contract “after secret negotiations were held during BART Directors’ campaign elections” he said.
“…giving space to someone who can’t pronounce our past GM’s name or spell eBART correctly and someone who makes false claim after false claim is a disservice to the public and spreads lies.” – BART Director Li
“These agreements offer BART budgetary stability as we plan our recovery from COVID-19.” – Board V.P. Foley who voted in support.
“The contract extensions come seven months before the contracts are due to expire, locking in employee costs at pre-pandemic levels…at the level that it was when we were carrying 410,000 riders each week day and now we carry about 50 (thousand).” – BART Director Allen
By Allen Payton
In an attempt to get them to reconsider the proposed labor contract with employee unions, State Senator Steve Glazer challenged the BART Board during their meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3. He asked why they were considering the contract long before it’s set to expire, and more is known about the impacts of COVID-19 next year. In response, he was called a liar by one director.
Nevertheless, the BART Board voted 7-2 in favor of the contract, with Directors Debora Allen from Contra Costa County and Liz Ames from Alameda County casting the votes against. Board Vice President Mark Foley who represents other portions of Contra Costa County voted in favor of the contract extension.
Glazer issued a statement earlier this week about BART’s announcement “on Thanksgiving eve…(about) a tentative labor contract with their represented groups, after secret negotiations were held during BART Directors’ campaign elections.”
“Along with other specific contract changes, this tentative agreement is premature and a big mistake and will likely harm BART riders, commuters and taxpayers through fare hikes and service erosion,” his statement continued.
Glazer read most of the statement during the Thursday meeting, but offering additional comment.
“I want to be clear what I have to say reflects my views of accountability and trust that the public expects from all of us,” he said. “I think we all agree that BART is in a financial meltdown due to the pandemic and it’s not clear to me that you have a clear plan for recovery. The district’s own financial analysis projects a shortfall of tens of millions of dollars by next summer amidst the steepest decline in ridership in your agency’s history. My view, the district needs all the flexibility it can to avoid a financial disaster. Yet, BART is tying its hands with this agreement.”
“In the first half of 2021 BART will have a clearer idea about the COVID-19 vaccine availability, ridership improvements, any potential financial bailout assistance from the federal government, and the results of your early retirement incentives that have already been offered to existing employees,” Glazer explained. “All of these potential outcomes will provide important budgetary insight that should shape any new contract terms. But instead of waiting for that information, you are now rushing to approve a contract, negotiated behind closed doors, with no public notice and it will prevent you from making any kind of targeted salary reductions if your revenues do not recover. This will likely lead to service reductions and fare increases which will hurt the very people you are here to serve.”
His statement issued on Monday adds, “BART is leaving few options but to lay off employees and curtail the number of trains, which would further depress ridership and deepen the agency’s financial crisis.
“So, I come here with a question,” Glazer continued during the meeting. “The current labor contract with your representative employee groups doesn’t expire until July 1st, 2021. So, why did the district make an early agreement with so many economic unknowns?”
“It’s my understanding that BART has not even done a salary survey of other transit districts and public agencies to determine if the current salaries called for in this agreement are needed to recruit and retain qualified employees, basic data needed to inform any effective negotiation,” he said. “I question whether the failure to conduct a salary survey is keeping with board policy and procedures.”
“Now, the public was never told when your negotiations started. I’m told these negotiations were initiated by the Board in September and October. If true, that means that directors were negotiating with BART unions on their salaries and benefits on one hand, while asking the same unions for campaign contributions with the other hand. This is an outrageous injection of politics in a hugely consequential employer-employee agreement. And by setting the terms of the agreement at three years rather than four years based on past contract durations, the future contract will be negotiated during another election year.”
“You know that, Board members, before you came to this board for the most of you, had worked for a long time to ensure the contract negotiations would not be immersed in politics and election year circumstances. So, that four-year duration was done purposely. You unravel that in this proposed contract before you.
“In this agreement, for the most part, you’ve abandoned any of the work rule changes that were central to the 2013 contract negotiations. Where have those work rules been laid out, publicly disclosed and discussed, so that we can understand why they’ve been abandoned in this agreement.”
“You know, when the strike happened in 2013, BART management was clear that the work rules were probably more important than the salaries and benefits being negotiated. It had that kind of consequence and impact on the agency. But there’s a complete void of understanding or knowledge about what efforts were made to negotiate those work rules.”
It reversed important e-BART reforms that were instituted by former General Manager Grace Crunican. Again, BART, the board members, and the management (were) very involved in establishing those eBART reforms which you’re throwing out in this proposed contract.”
So, it’s not surprising to me, that you are moving forward with due haste to approve these negotiations and rush this contract through with very little public review, and I think that it’s because the details and the consequences are uncomfortable.
“I would hope that you will reconsider what you are doing, today and take a more deliberate and cautious approach to these negotiations as you consider the full impact of the pandemic on our economy. It would be best for your financial well-being and more importantly for BART riders throughout the Bay Area.”
“In conclusion, let me just say that the foundation of your service as board members is to ensure that this transportation system is able to function during good times and bad times. This contract continues the limitation against training management to run the trains during a work stoppage. So, all of BART riders, many of them low-income people who can’t afford to stay home, will be prevented from getting to work under this contract provision. We’re talking about teachers and nurses, social workers, grocery clerks and other essential workers, who will all be left stranded if your trains stop running because you created this self-inflicted problem.”
“This strike protection provision is an abdication of your sacred duty and will limit future boards from helping the commuters when matters cannot be worked out at the bargaining table. And listen, we all would strongly hope that all matters can be worked out at the bargaining table.”
In his issued statement, Glazer included, “BART’s management doesn’t want the public to see what they are doing because they know that BART riders and other Bay Area residents would not support this agreement if they understood its details and its consequences.”
The BART Directors then took up the issue of the labor union contract.
General Manager Robert Powers responded to Glazer, saying, “I was the one…negotiating these tentative agreements with our labor partners. There were no elected officials in those discussions. I was supported primarily by our chief labor negotiations officer as well as our AGM of Operations. I wanted to be…crystal clear that it was me leading these negotiations under the authorization granted to me by the BART Board.”
During public comments, Sal Cruz, president of AFSCME Local 3093 said, “Our work has accelerated during this pandemic at great risk to our employees, as we position ourselves for the recovery we know will come. Proper positioning will be critical for the survival of all transit and for the Bay Area economy that is now linked to BART. Thank you for your leadership during these challenging times. Every transit agency in the country is in the same position as you are, now. The decision before you, today, is not an easy one. But it allows us to focus on rebuilding o ur system, continuing to provide safe transportation for our essential workers and preparing for the return of our riders. The workforce is behind you, the riders are behind you and the Bay Area is behind you.”
Li Calls Out Glazer
BART Director Li speaks in favor of the contract. Video screenshot of board meeting, Dec. 3, 2020.
BART Director Janice Li, who represents District 8 which includes portions of San Francisco, spoke next calling out Glazer for lying, mispronouncing the past general manager and misspelling eBART (it was spelled “e-Bart” in his statement from earlier in the week.
“I am proud to vote yes on this action, today. A yes vote, today is a yes vote for BART, is a yes for our riders and a very, very important yes for our workers,” she said. “Voting no makes BART an enemy to our workers and our riders.”
“There has been a lot of talk about this decision coming forward as too early or as a result of private meetings. I just want to be very clear that this claim is factually not true,” she stated. “First, I’m a member of the board’s labor negotiations review committee. We have been meeting since May of this year, then again in July, then again in August. These meetings are open to the public. They are publicly noticed and at subsequent board meetings we always give updates during board reports.”
“Second, we have held multiple closed session meetings regarding labor relations in recent months, and once again they have always been noticed as part of our board agenda,” Li continued. “Third, people who are saying that this is too early are saying that because the financial situation ahead is so unclear and that the board should wait until more is known. The truth is that things will inevitably change. But our staff has been doing excellent work in scenario planning and being transparent about all the potential futures, both good and bad. Furthermore, this contract is not one in the same as our budget revisions. In fact, this does not mean layoffs can’t or won’t happen. So, saying that by voting, yes it ties our hands or limits our options is incorrect.”
“And fourth, respectfully, I strongly refute the false claims made by Senator Glazer. Honestly, giving space to someone who can’t pronounce our past GM’s name or spell eBART correctly and someone who makes false claim after false claim is a disservice to the public and spreads lies. The idea that this was timed with elections is wrong and I will speak for myself, I was not up for election, re-election and I have not raised a cent for re-election, this year and I was not even endorsed by unions when I first ran in 2018.”
“So, what we actually have before us is a result of an incredible collaboration between BART management and labor unions and at the end of the day, who benefits?” she asked. “It’s our riders.”
She then thanked “the entire BART team for rebuilding trust with our labor unions and of course I want to thank our labor union partners for being collaborative at an incredibly difficult time.”
“As a board member I’m incredibly grateful that this decision is coming to us sooner rather than later so we can get back to focusing on running a safe system for our essential workers and implement a successful recovery plan during and through the pandemic that has raged every public transit agency, every public institution and every aspect of our lives. Let’s vote yes on this, today and if you remember our new slogan from the board workshop, earlier this year which, I know feels like years ago, ‘Let’s Go,’” she concluded.
Allen Offers Arguments Against Contract
BART Director Debora Allen speaks during the board meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Video screenshot.
Director Allen spoke against the contracts and supported what Glazer said.
“First, I want to touch on the private meetings because that seems to be a contentious little dialogue. I believe that is absolutely how these contracts come to be,” she said. “It is unfortunate the board discussion about these agreements doesn’t happen in public session. I believe we shouldn’t be discussing the contract extensions in closed door sessions where board members may say things that they would not say in public. In addition, I really do believe not enough of our own closed board discussion has occurred prior to this day of ratification.”
“There’s so much operational uncertainty, right now for BART and I’m not comfortable that the financial projections and plan give us the data we need for this decision,” Allen continued. “It’s really hard to say whether these are fair contracts. But despite having received $377 million in federal CARES Act subsidies already, this year, BART projects another $210 million deficit over the next 18 months and that is the case after we slashed the capital and pension funding allocations from the Fiscal Year ‘21 budget, along with the load shedding to the capital budget that has occurred throughout this year.”
“From my view we should be receiving regular updates of projected deficits for three years…and that information should be part of any decision by this board to extend labor contracts for three years out. They go together. Labor is 80% of our budget,” she stated.
“So, now we are all hopeful that another $377 million will come to us from D.C. and we’re hopeful that the retirement incentive will induce enough people to retire from exactly the right positions that we can afford to eliminate which we know is not really a reasonable assumption. We already know that some people are retiring from positions that we are going to have to turn around and refill,” Allen said. “We shouldn’t be budgeting to hopeful or aspiration. This is what we did back in June when we passed the budget, and it didn’t work out. We really projected far more revenue than we have. But, if even if those other things come true…it will likely only fund another three-quarters to one year of operating deficits. And it won’t do anything to make up for the lack of capital funding and pension funding that we put aside in ’21 and are likely to do, again in Fiscal Year ’22.”
“The contract extensions come seven months before the contracts are due to expire, locking in employee costs at pre-pandemic levels even as revenue projects remain wildly uncertain well into the next couple of years,” she explained. “Costs will be locked in at the level that it was when we were carrying 410,000 riders each weekday and now, we carry about 50 (thousand).”
Foley Speaks in Support
Board Vice President Mark Foley speaks on the matter during the meeting on Thursday, Dec. 3, 2020. Video screenshot.
Foley shared his thoughts in support of the contract.
“There was a lot of hard work that went in to making this happen. I am fully in support of this prudent approach to labor negotiations during the pandemic,” he said. “These agreements offer BART budgetary stability as we plan our recovery from COVID-19. A wage freeze, next year, coupled with two years, of at most, very modest increases, increases that are directly tied to returning ridership and BART’s financial recovery, is a responsible course of action to take.”
“More importantly, you know these contracts provide language to allow us to reopen negotiations, a necessary safety net during these challenging times,” Foley continued. “These proactive steps are being taken to hopefully avoid further service cuts, like closing stations, eliminating weekend service or laying off employees, employees that will be needed when we ramp up service.”
“And to those employees I say thank you. You are BART’s most important asset,” he stated. “We wouldn’t have been successful if not for the collaboration of your union leadership and union partners.”
“And lastly, I’d like to thank the district secretary’s office for bringing this item, publishing this agenda to the board, two days early rather than publishing it during the Thanksgiving holiday. This gave us additional transparency around this action. I urge my fellow board members to vote in support of these tentative agreements and I fully support this motion,” Foley concluded.
Other board members spoke, mainly in favor of the contract extension and they then voted 7-2 to approve.
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Not waiting until local hospitals are near crisis to act
By Contra Costa Health Services
Public Safety Alert text sent Friday afternoon, Dec.. 4, 2020.
Yesterday, Governor Newsom announced that all sectors other than retail and essential operations would be closed in regions of the State where less than 15 percent of ICU beds are available under a new Regional Stay-At-Home Order. Although health officials throughout the Bay Area are glad to see the State take action in light of the rapidly escalating surge in hospitalizations statewide, many believe even more aggressive action is necessary in the Bay Area to slow the surge and prevent our local hospitals from being overwhelmed. (See related article)
Rather than waiting until Intensive Care Unit (ICU) bed availability reaches critical levels and delaying closures that are inevitable, the Health Officers for the Counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and Santa Clara as well as the City of Berkeley are jointly announcing that they will implement the State’s Regional Stay Home Order now.
“It takes several weeks for new restrictions to slow rising hospitalizations and waiting until only 15 percent of a region’s ICU beds are available is just too late,” said San Francisco Health Officer Dr. Tomás Aragon. “Many heavily impacted parts of our region already have less than 15 percent of ICU beds available, and the time to act is now.”
“We are seeing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations here in Contra Costa County and across our region,” said Contra Costa County Health Officer Dr. Christopher Farnitano. “The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in our county has doubled in just the past couple of weeks, and we are at risk of exceeding our hospital capacity later this month if current trends continue.”
“We cannot wait until after we have driven off the cliff to pull the emergency break,” said Santa Clara County Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody. “We understand that the closures under the State order will have a profound impact on our local businesses. However, if we act quickly, we can both save lives and reduce the amount of time these restrictions have to stay in place, allowing businesses and activities to reopen much sooner.”
“Rising hospitalization rates across the region threaten not only our community members with severe COVID-19, but anyone who may need care because of a heart attack, stroke, accident, or other critical health need,” said Alameda County Health Officer Dr. Nicholas Moss. “By acting together now we will have the greatest impact on the surge and save more lives.”
“Each of us can fight the spread,” said Dr. Lisa B. Hernandez, the City of Berkeley Health Officer. “Keep your family safe by avoiding even small gatherings outside of your household and not traveling. We don’t want holiday gatherings and travel to create a spike of cases on top of the surge we’re already seeing.”
“Although Marin has fared better than some other counties in our region over the last few weeks, we know it is only a matter of time before rising case and hospitalization put pressure on our hospitals too,” said Marin County Health Officer Dr. Matthew Willis. “We must act now, and must act together to ensure all hospitals in the Bay Area have the capacity they need to care for our residents.”
Consistent with the State framework, the six jurisdictions are working to ensure that all sectors have at least 48-hour notice of these closures. Most of the Bay Area Health Officers will implement the State’s Regional Stay At Home Order as of Sunday December 6, 2020. In Alameda County, it is scheduled to take effect on Monday, December 7, 2020, and Marin County’s order will take effect Tuesday, December 8. The new restrictions will remain in place until January 4, 2021.
The sector closures and restrictions on activity under the State’s Regional Stay Home Order are described here.
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