Today's San Francisco Chronicle reports BART spent $2.2 million to reach the final settlement, that doesn't count $5 million in revenue lost due to the strikes. The agency also spent more than a million dollars chartering buses to shuttle riders around while the BART trains sat idle.
Here's how the Chronicle breaks down the $2.2 million talks: nearly half, about $1 million, went to pay the salaries of 53 union negotiators who took time off work to sit across the table from BART negotiators.
BART spent an estimated $1.2 million on outside consultants and PR specialists. Nearly $5,000 was spent on takeout food. One local business cashed in: Nick's Plaza Cafe took about $2,600 in sandwich orders.
