BART unions extend talks for one day, avert Monday strike

OAKLAND – Less than 90 minutes before a midnight strike deadline for the Bay Area’s commuter rail system, union leaders agreed to extend negotiations for one more day, sparing 200,000 round-trip riders the anxiety of a scramble for alternative transportation on a Monday. The surprise twist came after a marathon weekend of negotiations in which BART management and union leaders – as well as state and local elected officials who had streamed into Caltrans headquarters to help achieve resolution – described developments as "hopeful." http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-bart-strike-averted-20131013,0,789923.story Article courtesy of The Los Angeles Times-LA NOW by Lee Romney