Sen. Steve Glazer to vote ‘no’ on BART measure

State Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda, who has relentlessly railed against BART, its labor contracts and financial mismanagement, told The Chronicle Wednesday that he will vote against Measure RR, the $3.5 billion property tax proposal on the Nov. 8 ballot to upgrade the regional rail transit system.

Glazer’s opposition is bad news for the Yes on RR campaign, since the senator’s district covers most of central and eastern Contra Costa County and the Tri-Valley in Alameda County — areas where support for the bond measure is not considered particularly strong.

Nick Josefowitz, a BART director from San Francisco, speaking for the pro-bond campaign, declined to discuss the significance of Glazer’s opposition other than to say the campaign’s efforts were focused on voters rather than politicians.

Glazer has made clear his dissatisfaction with BART management, especially over what he sees as lavish labor contracts.

In February, as BART directors contemplated a bond measure, he organized a group of elected local and state officials who threatened to oppose any proposal asking voters for funds unless BART negotiated a “financially responsible contract” with its labor unions before going to the ballot.

BART officials quietly bargained a four-year contract extension with its unions, announced in April, that ensured no labor strike would take place in 2017 when negotiations for new deals were scheduled.

Recent stories of excessive overtime, on-train security cameras that don’t work, salary bonuses for workers and big raises for BART managers, he said, persuaded him to oppose Measure RR.

Josefowitz said BART directors and other bond supporters have been getting a supportive response from people around the district as they spread the message of BART’s need to upgrade the 44-year-old system troubled by aging infrastructure and overwhelmed by record ridership.