The MBTA extended its Keolis commuter rail contract. Where does that leave union negotiations?

The MBTA Board voted unanimously Thursday to extend the agency’s contract with Keolis Commuter Services for another year, to mid-2027. The extra year, according to the T’s assessment, will provide more time for the agency to think about what it wants the next long-term commuter rail contract to look like.

Hours later, Transportation Workers Union Local 2054, the union representing car inspectors and coach cleaners contracted under Keolis, unanimously voted in favor of a strike authorization. To be clear, the vote will not lead to an immediate strike, but it serves as preparation for what could be a long road ahead.

The two actions represent movement on either side of months-long negotiations between TWU Local 2054 and Keolis, the former pushing for what they call an “industry standard contract.” 

According to Local 2054 President Ed Flaherty, the commuter rail workers haven’t had a pay raise since 2022 and are the lowest-paid in the Northeast. He said this is despite the fact the commuter rail has surpassed post-pandemic ridership expectations, a detail the MBTA has acknowledged and championed — although comparing wages between railroad systems doesn’t always take into account different collective bargaining cycles.

Keolis and TWU plan to meet again for another round of negotiations on May 6. If no agreement is reached, TWU plans to “request mediation” from the National Mediation Board, a independent group that can then declare an “impasse” in negotiations. The vote members cast yesterday gave them member authorization to strike at some future point, following an impasse, a rejection of binding arbitration, and a cooling off period, per Railway Labor Act rules.

“The last thing we want to do is hurt the public,” Flaherty told MASSterList, calling a strike the union’s “last option.” But something has to change, he said, describing 80-hour work weeks his workers swing on average in the face of inflation and no raises, plus difficulty in attracting and retaining a workforce as a result.

If commuter rail workers — who inspect, repair and clean commuter trains — were to go on strike, MBTA commuter rail operations would essentially shut down, according to TWU International President John Samuelsen. 

The impasse, Samuelsen told MASSterList, “is 100 percent economic in nature,” voicing frustration that the commuter rail’s public services are contracted out to an international firm like Keolis.

“What we’re asking for is still going to keep us the lowest paid — but we’re willing to accept that,” Flaherty said. “We know we’re not going to fix it all in one contract, but they [Keolis] don’t seem like they’re ready to move.” 

In a statement to MASSterList, a Keolis official said that the company is “currently negotiating in good faith with each collective bargaining unit, including TWU, to amend their existing agreements.” TWU is not the only union Keolis is negotiating with, and the status of each negotiation is wholly dependent on when unions chose to commence the process.

Flaherty said the union was unaware of the MBTA’s plan to extend Keolis’ contract. It changes the state of the negotiations, he said — now, on May 6, when they return to the negotiation table, a five-year contract, not a four-year contract, will be the subject of discussion.

On Thursday at a T Board meeting, in response to a question of whether the contract extension would address union concerns, T leadership said the extension “would include the cost of some of the things that are currently being discussed between Keolis and the union representatives in negotiations.” — Ella Adams

THURSDAY in the House and Senate

The House continued working on its FY25 annual budget for a second day. Reps accepted three more “consolidated” mega-amendment bundles, reports Chris Lisinski for the News Service, which added $32.3M to what was initially a $57.9B plan. The three bundles were organized by public safety and judiciary; public health, mental health and disabilities; and transportation and state administration. 

The Senate set up conference committee talks with the House over bills to ban “revenge porn” and tackle coercive control. Senators passed three consumer protection bills.

Both branches passed a transportation funding bill, sending $200M to the Chapter 90 program and $175M in grant programs to support infrastructure improvements.

The Legislature also finalized a negotiated version of a fiscal year 2024 supplemental budget that will add $251M into the family shelter system in FY24 and $175M in FY25, impose a nine-month shelter stay limit with the opportunity for extensions, and make permanent cocktails-to-go and expanded outdoor dining. The bill was enacted and sent to Gov. Healey’s desk in the late afternoon. — SHNS House Coverage | SHNS Senate Coverage

Dept. of Ed investigating UMass for anti-Arab, anti-Palestinian conduct

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights has launched an investigation into UMass Amherst for “dragging its feet” over complaints of anti-Arab and anti-Palestinian harassment on campus over the course of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Palestine Legal filed a complaint in early April on behalf of 18 UMass students. The complaint accuses UMass of failing to act against harassment of pro-Palestine students despite repeated notice, and retaliating against pro-Palestinian demonstrators, reports James Pentland for the Gazette. — Daily Hampshire Gazette

Thousands of low-income households across Mass., U.S. will lose internet subsidy at April’s end

The federal Affordable Connectivity Program provides low-income households with $30 a month for internet access, but not for much longer. More than 367,000 households in Mass. will lose this subsidy when the program expires at the end April, and 23 million households are set to lose it across the nation — a reality that could make the country’s “digital divide” much worse. Some places like the city of Boston are working to take away the burden of internet payment by way of grants for community organizations, and in D.C., there’s a chance the Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act may pass, of which Congresswoman Lori Trahan is among cosponsors. — GBH

Nantucket group’s appeal to halt Vineyard Wind project rejected

A federal court rejected an appeal filed by a group of Nantucket residents, known as ACK For Whales, aimed at halting Vineyard Wind’s offshore wind energy project southwest of the island, reports Jason Graziadei for the Current. The group filed the appeal last fall with the First Circuit of U.S. Court of Appeals, an attempt to overturn a May 2023 U.S. District Court decision that dismissed the group’s original complaint — that the agencies permitting the project violated the Endangered Species Act by deciding offshore wind construction wouldn’t jeopardize the endangered North Atlantic right whale. — Nantucket Current

Poll examines Bay State stance on hemp-based THC regulations

Should products containing THC from hemp be available in places other than licensed dispensaries? A MassINC poll suggests most Bay Staters don’t think so, as hemp-based THC drinks continue popping up everywhere from restaurants to gas stations. A legislative hearing is set to come in June to discuss the impacts of the “regulatory divide” between hemp-based THC products and cannabis-based ones. — CommonWealth Beacon

Salem council passes no-camping rule, but drops fines for unhoused 

The Salem City Council voted Thursday to adopt an anti-camping ordinance that has sparked weeks of debate in the Witch City. At the last minute, the council softened the measure by excluding those without permanent housing from fines of up to $300. Dustin Luca of the Salem News reports the council voted 10-1 in favor of the regulations, which allow police to dismantle encampments after a warning, and that the decision to pull back on fines represented a win for opponents of the measure. — Salem News

Quincy’s Mayor Koch could become highest-paid U.S. mayor

Based on a recent recommendation, Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch could become the highest-paid mayor in the country. The study making the recommendation took two months to complete and cost almost $10,000 and suggests Koch be paid between $298,957 and $370,000 — his current salary sits at $159,000. The decision is up to city councilors, and the recommendation is based both on Koch’s years in service and the extensive duties he maintains as mayor. — Patriot Ledger

Marlborough proposal would bring office-to-housing trend to suburbs

It’s not just for big-city downtowns anymore. A developer is asking Marlborough to redevelop land in an office park so that a long-vacant commercial property can be converted into a complex with as many as 180 condo units, Jesse Collings of the MetroWest Daily News reports. In a twist, early plans appear to have the support of some would-be neighbors, who say the building — vacant since at least the start of the pandemic — has become a magnet for illegal activity. — MetroWest Daily News

Berkshire job fair with up to 500 jobs attracts fewer than 100 prospective workers 

The challenge of staffing businesses in the Bay State came into stark relief this week in the Berkshires when the Lenox Chamber of Commerce organized a day-long job fair where businesses said they had as many as 500 positions to fill and just 67 people looking for work showed up. Clarence Fanto of the Eagle reports many of the jobs are in the healthcare field and that despite a smaller number of applicants, many employers said the quality of the candidate pool was improving. — Berkshire Eagle

Fire (ball) sale: Island liquor stores liquidate stock ahead of nip-bottle ban

With just days before nip-sized booze bottle sales become illegal on Martha’s Vineyard, stores are discounting their remaining stock and bracing for the economic impact of the ban, Katrina Liu of the Vineyard Gazette reports. At the urging of environmental groups, voters in both Oak Bluffs and Edgartown approved sales shutdowns at town meetings last year and despite initial pushback from store owners, sales officially end on April 30. — Vineyard Gazette

THIS WEEKEND:

KELLER AT LARGE, Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller hosts Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) to discuss local campus protests, proposals for new taxes, funding for migrant shelter, and controversy over the state transportation secretary’s recent remarks.

ON THE RECORD, Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB. Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti host Mass. Congressman Stephen Lynch. Democratic Political Analyst Mary Anne Marsh and Republican Political Analyst Lizzy Guyton join the roundtable discussion.

AT ISSUE, Sunday, 11:30 a.m., NBC10 Boston; 12, 2:30, 5 p.m., NECN. Jeff Saperstone and Sue O’Connell host Mass. Congressman Seth Moulton on Ukraine and transportation funding. Plus, Boston Globe columnist Shirley Leung and Chris Dempsey, formerly of No Boston Olympics, look back on the Boston 2024 Olympics bid and what might have been for the city.

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