Policy
Senate leaders reject Baker’s plan to shake up MBTA
Boston Globe | By David Scharfenberg and Nicole Dungca | May 12, 2015 Senate leaders are rejecting Governor Charlie Baker’s plan to shake up the beleaguered Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, mounting a significant challenge to the administration’s top legislative priority. The leadership, which plans to roll out its own, more modest T legislation Tuesday, is…
Read MoreThank you for attending today’s transportation hearing!
Thank you to all Local 589 members―active and retired―as well as members from other unions for showing up at today’s rally, knocking on legislators’ doors, and attending the transportation hearing. For those who were not able to attend, here are some articles written about the hearing: WBUR: Baker Urges Lawmakers To Approve MBTA Overhaul MassLive:…
Read MoreWithout Pacheco Law, can we trust the MBTA to undertake privatization?
Boston Globe – OPINION | By Suzanne Bump | May 07, 2015 The “Pacheco Law” has been cited as an obstacle to the goal of a more efficient, less costly mass transit system for Boston. As the state official charged with ensuring that plans for having private companies run certain government operations meet the requirements…
Read MoreState House Rally This Monday (5/11)
Join Local 589’s executive board, members, and retirees―as well as other MBTA unions―for a rally this Monday (5/11) at 11:00 AM on the steps across the street from the Massachusetts State House (corner of Beacon and Park Street). After the rally, we ask that you visit with your state senator and state representative and urge…
Read MoreMBTA union wants to repair image
Boston Globe | By Joan Vennochi | May 3, 2015 THEY OPPOSE any changes to a state law that makes it hard for the MBTA to do business with private vendors. They agree employee absenteeism is a problem — just not as big a problem as a recent report made it sound. Other than that,…
Read MoreT report misses mark on absenteeism numbers
Commonwealth Magazine | By Steve Koczela | April 30, 2015 ONE OF THE MOST ALARMING figures to come out of Gov. Charlie Baker’s MBTA panel report earlier this month was 57. That’s the average number of working days that T employees miss each year, according to the panel’s analysis. The analysis also found that the absence rate across all…
Read MoreUPDATED: Thank you for attending Monday’s hearing!
Thank you to the hundreds of union members that attended Monday’s hearing. Your presence was felt and voices were heard. As you know, our amendment to protect union jobs and keep the T public gained the support of 60 members―representing over 1/3 of the House. However, the House chose to vote on a consolidated amendment…
Read MorePrivatization Has Been a Colossal Flop
Huffington Post | By Allen Frances, professor emeritus at Duke University | May 23, 2015 Let’s get this straight. I am a penny pincher, who hates waste and wants a lean and efficient government. But, that said, we have to face the fact that our massive privatization of what once were government functions has been…
Read MoreVolunteers Needed for Phone Banks!
Dear brothers and sisters, As you know, our rights, our livelihoods, and our families are under attack with current efforts to privatize the MBTA. However, let us be clear, this is not only an attack on Local 589―it is an attack on the labor movement itself! In response, Local 589’s executive board has organized phone…
Read MoreMBTA union vows fight over Baker’s plan for agency
Boston Globe | By David Scharfenberg | May 27, 2015 The MBTA’s largest employee union is vowing to sue the state, or petition the federal government to cut off millions of dollars in aid for the agency, if state lawmakers approve a key provision of Governor Charlie Baker’s T overhaul plan. Union officials argue the…
Read More