San Francisco Transit Strike Delayed Until October

Judge orders 60-day cooling off period

A second Bay Area Rapid Transit strike has been averted until at least October, after a California judge ordered a 60-day cooling-off period so negotiations can continue.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Curtis Karnow made the order at the request of Gov. Jerry Brown after a rare Sunday hearing. Karnow's ruling is considered a formality, since the state law that allows for a strike delay is nearly the equivalent of an executive order and requires a judge only to declare that a strike would cause public harm.

The order comes a week after Brown appointed a commission to look into why unions and the transit district - known locally as BART - have not budged in their demands despite months of talks. Unions staged a four-day walkout in late June before agreeing to another month of negotiations, which expired Aug. 5.