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Commuter rail workers rally for wage increases, new contract
"Today, these dedicated workers remain among the lowest-paid in the country while serving one of the most expensive cities in the U.S."
Commuter rail workers rallied at South Station on Wednesday during the morning commute to call for wage increases and a new contract with Keolis, which operates the rail system for the MBTA.
In a statement, The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 318 said its members have faced “decades of wage stagnation and lost pay raises.”
“Today, these dedicated workers remain among the lowest-paid in the country while serving one of the most expensive cities in the U.S.,” the statement read. “With soaring living costs and outdated wages, IAM Local 318 members are demanding a fair contract that brings their pay in line with national standards.”
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U.S. Representatives Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton, and Stephen Lynch, as well as state Senator Brendan Crighton joined the roughly 100 commuter rail workers at the rally, 7News Boston reports.
Jonathan Clark, president of IAM Local 318, told the station that the workers’ contracts expired two years ago but they do not intend to go on strike.
“It’s all walks of life from maintenance of way workers, to signal electricians, to car inspectors,” he said of those impacted.
In a statement to The Boston Globe, a Keolis spokesperson said the company is negotiating in good faith to “amend their existing agreements.”
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“Our goal is to reach fair agreements with all unions while being mindful of our role as financial stewards of the Commuter Rail on behalf of the MBTA and the Commonwealth,” the statement read.
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