Posts by Local589 Admin
State Senate Defeats Attacks on Taxpayer Protection Act
Amendments to the state budget, offered during the State Senate debate, that would have impacted health care collective bargaining rights and stripped taxpayers of protections against privatization schemes were defeated on voice votes in late May. An attempt to increase the threshold to allow the public services to be privatized lost on a voice vote…
Read MoreHouse set to approve $49m in aid for MBTA
Boston Globe | By Eric Moskowitz | June 12, 2012 The House is poised to vote Wednesday on an emergency funding package for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, with key lawmakers saying they expect to get the measure to Governor Deval Patrick’s desk by June 30. The plan to send $49 million in state aid…
Read MoreBanking on kindness at the MBTA
Boston Globe | By Brian McGrory | August 01, 2012 If bad news were money, we’d all be millionaires these days. The presidential candidates are basically trying to scratch each other’s eyes out. Nothing will change after the Colorado massacre. The world economy is dangling by a thread. Republicans and Democrats can’t agree on the…
Read MoreMBTA ridership reaches new heights
BOSTON (AP) — There were more than 400 million individual rides on the MBTA during the last fiscal year for the first time in transit agency history. The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority announced Tuesday that average weekday ridership for the fiscal year that ended June 30 grew by 5.7 percent over the previous year.…
Read MoreATU Local 241 in Chicago meets with President Lee in Boston
Members of ATU Local 241 from Chicago and President John Lee met this past weekend to dicuss issues facing both organizations, such as contract negotiations / arbitration, grievances, service cuts – layoffs, training programs and many other issues. When the meeting was over, all agreed that although we are from different cities, our issues and goals are…
Read MoreATU Mass. Legislative Conference
This past Wednesday July 18, 2012, Boston Carmen’s Union, Local 589 President John Lee and members of the Executive Board joined with other Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Locals as part of the Mass. Legislative Conference. The purpose of …the meeting was to discuss issues pertaining to mass transit (i.e., the transportation bond bill, funding, debt,…
Read MoreMBTA mechanics keep old subway cars rolling
By Eric Moskowitz | GLOBE STAFF | JULY 08, 2012 MEDFORD — Standing in a pit below an Orange Line car, MBTA repairer Dave Campbell manipulated knobs and buttons to activate the Stanray Wheel Truing Machine, a hulking device in dinged-up avocado green that looks like the offspring of Cold War weaponry and a KitchenAid…
Read MoreGolf Tournament Sold out
Due to overwhelming demand, the golf tournament is sold out. If you missed out on playing this year, there is always next year. Make sure to visit the website after the tournament for photos from the event.
Read MoreLocal 589 Members Stand with Fire Fighters at 40th Anniversary of Hotel Vendome Fire
On June 17th Fire Fighters and their Families gathered to remember the 9 Boston Fire Fighters killed at the Hotel Vendome fire 40 years ago. Delegate Patrick Hogan notes that once again Local 589 bus drivers volunteered their time and skills as part of this event honoring those Fire Fighters. Bus Drivers David O”Brien (Charlestown)…
Read MoreMBTA Control Board proposal shot down
22News | Tuesday, 19 June 2012 | By Christine Lee BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Senate shot down a proposal Tuesday that would create a Springfield-like Control Board to take over financial management of Boston’s transit authority, the MBTA. Senator Gale Candaras (D-Wilbraham) announced the amendment as the Senate debated a $51 million dollar bailout…
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