Commuter rail workers demanding higher wages and more affordable health insurance from their employer rallied outside South Station during the Wednesday morning commute, aiming to alert riders about their ongoing labor fight.

U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton and Stephen Lynch, as well as state Sen. Brendan Crighton, joined the roughly 100 commuter rail workers and trade union members as they sought to apply pressure on Keolis Commuter Services, which operates 14 rail lines in Greater Boston and Rhode Island. 

Workers do not intend to go on strike and cause service disruptions, said Jonathan Clark, president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Local 318. Clark said worker contracts expired two years ago.

Clark described the gathering as an “informational rally,” featuring a coalition of unions representing other Keolis commuter rail workers with expired contracts.

“It’s all walks of life from maintenance of way workers, to signal electricians, to car inspectors,” Clark said.

A giant inflatable rat that often appears at labor disputes was situated outside the station, and some cars passing by honked loudly as they took in the large crowd. Ralliers joined in chants including “Union! Power!” and “When we fight! We win!” A truck parked near the crowd displayed a large digital sign that read, “We keep your trains on the tracks. Support commuter rail employees.”

Contract negotiations have been ongoing for the past year, and Clark said workers are bristling at Keolis’s plan to raise insurance costs by 30 percent over five years while only boosting wages by 25 percent.

“We wouldn’t profit at all — we would have no increase,” Clark said.

A Keolis spokesperson said commuter rail union employee contracts do not expire, though they can be adjusted at certain points.

Keolis said the more than 14 unions representing 2,500 workers are at different stages of negotiations. One union has reached an agreement with Keolis, while nine unions have formed a coalition and two others have moved into mediation, Keolis said. 

“We are currently negotiating in good faith with each collective bargaining unit to amend their existing agreements. 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,” said a Keolis spokesperson, who pointed out Keolis reached an agreement with Transport Workers Union of America earlier this year, which included a 23 percent wage increase over five years and paid sick leave.

“KCS is in the advanced stages of negotiations with at least nine other unions,” the spokesperson said. “We continue to make positive progress and we’re confident we will reach agreements with each collective bargaining unit.”

IAM says workers here are the lowest-paid commuter rail employees in the country, and earn 12 percent less than their counterparts at Amtrak.

Joe English, a mechanical supervisor with the Association of Railroad and Airline Supervisors of America Lodge 5085, said he earns an hourly wage that is $4.57 less than his counterparts at Amtrak.

“That’s 10,000 a year at 40 hours,” English said. “Now many of these people, many of my people, work 40 hours a week of overtime. That’s a $25,000 gap.”

A rail worker since 1974, English said he’s seeking equality from Keolis, “Equality in pay, equality of rights and equality of work.” English said workers and Keolis are “not even close” on wage negotiations.

The Keolis spokesperson said the wage and benefits packages that are being offered and negotiated are “fair and reasonable compared to industry standards.”

Keolis workers receive no paid sick days, Clark said. A Keolis spokesperson said the company participates in federal sickness and unemployment benefits, and that some unions have chosen to forego more sick benefits as they focused on larger wage increases or other benefits. 

Keolis took over operations at the MBTA’s commuter rail service in 2014 after securing a $2.6 billion, eight-year contract, according to the company’s website. MBTA officials in 2020 extended the contract through June 30, 2026, and the MBTA Board in April extended it to mid-2027

Amtrak and the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company previously operated the commuter rail, which is owned by the MBTA. Robert Butler, an MBTA Board member who attended the rally, received a shout-out for supporting commuter rail workers.

An MBTA spokesperson did not comment on the future of Keolis’s contract but said current negotiations are happening “in good faith.”

“We receive regular updates from Keolis regarding the ongoing contract negotiations, which are progressing, and both sides are negotiating in good faith,” MBTA spokesperson Maya Bingaman said. “We appreciate and value the partnership of all of our labor partners and operator, Keolis, and trust that a resolution will be reached that demonstrates the appropriate commitment to the workforce, the public we all serve, and our operator’s needs.

Lynch said Keolis must come to the bargaining table in “good faith.” He also warned that Keolis’s future is in jeopardy in Massachusetts.

“Here’s the thing: Keolis, who has consistently refused to pay people the wages and benefits that they deserve, their contract is up — their contract is up,” Lynch said, drawing cheers. “So the commonwealth of Massachusetts will have to decide what company will run the commuter rail in the next couple of years. And we want to make sure that Keolis realizes their job is at stake, that their contract is up.”

At an MBTA Board meeting in February, commuter rail workers showed up to discuss their low pay and limited benefits. 

“For years, the MBTA has treated the commuter rail as the illegitimate stepchild of the MBTA, only paying child support to whoever runs it, and the provider takes their cut before it comes down to us,” Ed Flaherty, president of Local 2054 Transportation Workers Union, which represents car inspectors and coach cleaners at Keolis, Amtrak and CLX, said at the time.

The MBTA is mulling over potential changes to its commuter rail contract structure, agency spokesman Joe Pesaturo said at the time. 

“There have been significant developments in passenger railroad technology and operations worldwide since the current structure was developed, and MBTA is considering whether different contractual structures may better serve the communities of Massachusetts,” Pesaturo had said. “The plan for the next procurement is to identify a partner who can help deliver on this vision via a new, innovative operating contract structure.”

At the rally Wednesday, Chrissy Lynch, president of the AFL-CIO, criticized the privatization of public transportation and urged Keolis to listen to workers’ demands.

“Since Maura Healey became governor, the MBTA has settled some great contracts with the other bargaining units that the state negotiates with directly,” Lynch said. “Surprise, surprise, the privatized Keolis contracts, we’re still waiting for some fair contracts there. That’s why we’re here today.”

Pressley stressed the importance of investing in workers in order to maintain and improve public transportation.

“We cannot and will not build the public transit system that this commonwealth deserves, that is safe, that is accessible, on the backs of the very workers who pour their blood, sweat and tears into that system day in and day out,” Pressley said.

The congresswoman added, “This contract fight is about your families, it is about your health, it is about your wellness, and it is about future generations of transit workers who deserve to be compensated appropriately for their work and finally, be able to take a day off when you or your family are sick.”

(Copyright (c) 2024 State House News Service.

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