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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Thursday approved a nearly $2 billion budget that could privatize four bus garages.
Read the Boston Globe article: MBTA approves $2 billion budget
International President Bob Martinez slammed the privatization vote.
“Boston is the birthplace of American public transit system,” said Martinez. The system was created to make people’s lives better. Public transit not only helps create jobs, it also moves people to and from their jobs.
“We have an opportunity in America to increase our public infrastructure and transit investment. This is not the time to decrease service and quality by putting our system in the hands of a big private corporation. The MBTA Board should not hand over the keys to a private corporation who will end up driving the public transit system into a ditch.”
Boston IAM Local 264 member Paul Dion is also concerned about the misguided budget plan.
“What you will be getting is bosses making a profit and workers making less money working on the buses, giving you poor-quality work, causing more failures and unsafe buses,” said Dion. “What we need from you is to be investing in upgrading the facilities we work in so we have the right equipment to do the jobs we were hired to do.”
Read the Boston Herald article: Privatization plan puts MBTA budget at $1.98B
The MBTA board is asking MBTA officials to sit down and negotiate a new contract with IAM Local 264.
More than 450 mechanics, fuelers, and other skilled professionals united in IAM Local 264 proudly contribute to the operation of the MBTA and to our communities every day. We believe in ensuring safety for our riders and in professionally negotiating contracts that guarantee our members have a say in their job and can perform those jobs in workplaces that are safe. The Machinists Union and Local 264 have been fighting for workers, their families and Boston communities for 125 years.
