MBTA To Cut Non-Union Workers, Freeze Wages To Deal With Debt

As the MBTA struggles with a massive budget shortfall, it will lay off 75 workers, freeze wages and institute mandatory furloughs.

T officials say most of the cuts will be clerical and managerial and should not impact customer service.

However, the T's general manager has advised the chief of the transit police not to accept a new cadet class, since transit police are also on the chopping block.

T spokesman Joe Pesaturo says the real problem is that almost 70 percent of next year's $160 million budget shortfall is due to debt.

"What's driving this deficit is not really operational costs. It's the crushing debt that is on the MBTA," said Pesaturo. "A lot of it has to do with the projects that the T was mandated to build as part of Big Dig mitigation."

The cuts furloughs and wage freezes will only affect non-union employees. Union employees are on track to receive a 4 percent raise next fiscal year.