PTPG Coalition Wins People’s Pledge for Better Commuter Rail
Public Transit/Public Good (PTPG), a coalition of labor unions and community organizations representing workers and riders throughout Massachusetts, has won our People’s Pledge for Commuter Rail campaign.
All three bidders for the MBTA’s next commuter rail contract – Keolis/Amey, the Mass Regional Rail Consortium, and the Bay State Rail Consortium – have agreed to the coalition’s pledge, which includes three measures that will ensure timely bargaining, fair hiring, and five days of sick time for all rail workers.
PTPG believes privatized public transportation (such as the MBTA’s commuter rail) which relies on taxpayer funding must demonstrate clear public benefits to everyone across the Commonwealth. So when the MBTA selected these three companies as finalists to run the commuter rail, the coalition brought riders and workers together to demand that each bidding company sign a “People’s Pledge” to demonstrate their commitment to creating a commuter rail that prioritizes the needs of those who ride and work on our public transportation systems everyday, and not just corporate profit.
Whoever the MBTA chooses as the system’s next operator, we have secured a strong commitment to the workers that keep it running, the riders who rely on it, and the people in our communities that want equitable, family-sustaining jobs in rail.
People’s Pledge for Commuter Rail
- Provide Five Days of Earned Sick Time for Workers
The pledge: We commit to five days of earned sick time for commuter rail workers, in alignment with Massachusetts law.
2. Provide Equitable job pathways for residents
Good, union jobs at the commuter rail can help lift up families, communities and our entire region. These good job opportunities must be available to all people across the MBTA service region, especially groups who are currently underrepresented in the commuter rail workforce, without needless barriers.
The pledge: We will work with commuter rail unions to develop:
- Apprenticeship programs with equitable recruitment pathways
- Safe and equitable policies to ensure criminal record checks do not unfairly exclude qualified people from commuter rail employment
3. Commit to fair wages
Fair and living wages for commuter rail workers are important to the well-being of the workforce and to the economic strength of the communities we serve.
The pledge: We will take action for fair wages on the first day of the new contract, including immediately opening the collective bargaining process.
