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MBTA reaches labor agreements with all unions for the first time in 15 years

MBTA workers replace track on the Green Line at Packards Corner. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
MBTA workers replace track on the Green Line at Packards Corner. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)

Leaders at the MBTA say they anticipate a period of “stability” for the transit system's workforce, as they've sealed collective bargaining agreements with all 28 labor unions for the first time in years.

The T inked an agreement with MBTA Plumbers in June, marking the 16th agreement reached in a little over a year. The transit authority says this is the first time in 15 years that it's had agreements in place with all of its unions at the same time.

General Manager Phil Eng said the agreements help boost employee morale while also making jobs at the T more attractive for potential new hires. “Really what we're building here is not only for today, but we're building for the future,” Eng said in an interview with WBUR. “Focusing on safety, but also focusing on career paths.”

The agreements will be in place through 2028, which Eng said will help promote stability at a transit authority that's been plagued with staffing shortages. Making jobs more appealing prevents turnover, Eng said, and financially, retaining staff is more cost effective “than having people constantly going in and out the door.”

MBTA General Manager Phil Eng speaks to reporters from a podium set up on the Green Line platform at Government Center on Feb. 15, 2024. (Chris Lisinski/SHNS)
MBTA General Manager Phil Eng speaks to reporters from a podium set up on the Green Line platform at Government Center earlier this year. (Chris Lisinski/SHNS)

The successful contract negotiations also benefit T riders, Eng said, with positive morale among the workers helping boost reliability and service. "We want it to be the preferred choice and it really is about the workforce — their morale and us making sure that we support them to be able to do that," he said.

Union leaders are applauding Eng and Gov. Maura Healey’s efforts to bolster the T’s workforce. In a statement to WBUR, the MBTA Coalition of Unions chair Mike Vartabedian said, “A lot of trust has been restored among the workforce and we absolutely give them credit for making essential investments in the frontline workforce through a professional and respectful collective bargaining approach.”

Former Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi called the labor agreements an “important accomplishment” for the T. “Having labor harmony and workforce stability is a very helpful thing for the operations of the MBTA,” he said. "That’s always been true. I think it's even more true in a post-pandemic environment where unemployment is very low and it's increasingly challenging to attract new hires.”

As of July 1, the T has 7,521 employees. The T’s chief workforce officer, Ahmad Barnes said 95% of the T’s employees are working under a collective bargaining agreement.

Related:

Headshot of Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez
Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez Transportation Reporter

Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez is a transportation reporter for WBUR.

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