Commonwealth Magazine | By Tony Dutzik and Kristina Egan | Mar 20, 2015 THIS WINTER’S MBTA debacle has focused attention – as it should – on how the T does business. But it is important not to lose sight of why the T does business: to spark and support economic development, ensure equitable access to…
On Tuesday, the executive board of the Boston Carmen’s Union, Local 589, was invited to testify at a legislative winter storm oversight hearing held by the Joint Committee on Transportation. Also joining the executive board was Tom Roth, an economist and negotiator for Local 589 as well as the president of The Labor Bureau, Inc.…
Join us for union lobby day to oppose Governor Baker’s proposed health insurance increase on state workers on Thursday, April 2nd, 9:30 AM at the State House in Gardner Auditorium.
Boston Globe – March 19, 2015 ALTHOUGH I agree with Scot Lehigh on many issues, I disagree with his repeated take on the Taxpayer Protection Act, or the “Pacheco Law” (“State should seize control of T,” Op-ed, March 13). Lehigh and others in the media say the law hinders privatization of state contracts or encumbers…
Boston Globe | By Steve Annear | March 19, 2015 It had been more than a year since State Representative Marjorie Decker took the Red Line to work, but as she boarded a crowded train at Harvard Square before 9 a.m. Thursday, it all came back to her. “It’s like riding a bike,” she said.…
It is with great pleasure the Executive Board and Membership of the Boston Carmen’s Union, Local 589, announce the endorsement of Adrian Madaro for the Massachusetts House of Representatives for the 1st Suffolk District. Election is March 31, 2015. We encourage all our members and their families to support Adrian. For more information about Adrian or how to…
WBUR | By ZENINJOR ENWEMEKA | March 10, 2015 BOSTON, MA—With increased rides on the subway, buses and the commuter rail, the MBTA had a record 400.8 million trips last year — putting the transit system in line with a nationwide trend in which more and more people are using public transportation. A new report…
International Business Times | By Cole Stangler | March 1, 2015 One afternoon during the summer of 2000, her first year as a bus driver in Oregon’s Portland, Hope Okazaki had a troubling episode of gastrointestinal distress while on the job. She had just finished an almost two-hour tour through the east side of town, and…
Opinion: Boston Globe | By Kristina Egan | FEBRUARY 27, 2015 The MBTA’s performance in the record snow and cold temperatures gives us a glimpse of a possible future — one in which our transportation system completely fails us. When the T shuts down, businesses and workers lose millions of dollars. The torturous driving commutes…
Sandra Larson | Bay State Banner | 2/25/2015 In the aftermath of the historic January and February snowstorms in Boston that led to transit shutdowns, stuck trains, borrowed shuttle buses and frustrating delays at frigid platforms, the MBTA announced it could be another 30 days before full service resumes on its rail lines. If the…
Boston Globe | By The Editorial Board | February 26, 2015 IT’S TEMPTING to dismiss the creation of yet another committee of experts to figure out what’s ailing the MBTA, given Beacon Hill’s willingness to ignore the findings of past blue-ribbon panels. But the latest MBTA advisory panel, assembled by Governor Charlie Baker, deserves a chance to…
WBUR | February 20, 2015 Gov. Charlie Baker announced Friday that he’s giving a special panel 30 days to come up with recommendations to fix the MBTA’s finances and operations. And for good reason. In the past couple of weeks, we’ve heard a lot about the failings of the MBTA — about systemic problems and…
Commonwealth Magazine | By BRUCE MOHL | Feb 17, 2015 Senate President Stanley Rosenberg said on Tuesday that the problems at the MBTA are straight out of “Democracy in America,” the book Alexis de Tocqueville wrote in the 1800s which suggested that Americans may vote themselves more benefits than they are willing to pay for.…
Speaking with Joe Battenfeld yesterday, Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone said generations of chronic underfunding have put the MBTA behind both in terms of growing to meet its demand and in replacing its dated equipment. Any fix for the MBTA that doesn’t address both those issues isn’t a fix. Watch the interview below.
The following is a sample of the words of encouragement and support that we’ve received via our Facebook page from the riding public as we work to get the system back online after the snowiest month on record: “In this time of shutdowns, breakdowns and stalls, I want to take the time to thank the…