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…
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:…
Boston Globe | By Nicole Dungca | May 10, 2015 Forget Pacquiao-Mayweather. The real “fight of the century” may be the debate over Governor Charlie Baker’s proposed legislation that would overhaul the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. OK, so that may be an overstatement. But close watchers of Massachusetts politics can still expect a lively debate at…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
Click here to listen to our new radio ad. As the ad says, the 6,000 members of the Boston Carmen’s Union are committed to turning the oldest public transportation system in the nation into the best transportation system in the nation. Simply put, we are here to help and we want to help!
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…
State House News Service | April 27, 2015 Gov. Charlie Baker’s MBTA task force didn’t have time to “drill down” into the authority’s relationship with its new commuter rail system operator but did learn that the T and Keolis do not have a strong relationship, according to one task force member. At a Transportation Committee…
Join Local 589’s executive board, members, and retirees for a rally this Monday (4/27) at 9:00 AM on the front steps of the Massachusetts State House to keep the T public and to make our voices heard. A transportation hearing regarding the MBTA’s special panel report is scheduled for 10:00 AM on the same day. Although…
Below is a statement from the Executive Board of the Boston Carmen’s Union regarding the Governor’s MBTA bill. “The Governor’s Special Panel on the MBTA highlighted deep and pervasive management problems at the MBTA. While we agree with many of the recommendations of their report, eliminating the Pacheco Law will only make a bad situation…
Dear brothers and sisters, Thank you to the over 600 members that attended yesterday’s monthly union meetings to discuss the proposed reforms to the MBTA, including the elimination of the Taxpayer Protection Act (“Pacheco Law”). At the union meetings were Local 589’s media consultant, Steve Crawford, and lobbyist, Mike Morris. Steve gave an update on actions…
Brothers and sisters: Yesterday was a terrible day for the public and for the members of Local 589. The Massachusetts House of Representatives released their draft budget, and it includes recommendations that eliminate the protections afforded by the Taxpayer Protection Act (“Pacheco Law”), jeopardizing not only your jobs but also the public interest. We are…
Boston Globe | By David Scharfenberg | April 16, 2015 Senate leaders are skeptical of a House plan that would open the door to more privatization of services at the beleaguered MBTA. The House has called for a suspension of the so-called Pacheco law, which creates obstacles to outsourcing, for five years for the T.…