MBTA overseers unanimously approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the agency's largest labor union Thursday, praising the sizable raises and retention bonuses as a sign of a "sea change" amid major hiring and retention struggles.
The T's Board of Directors quickly adopted the agreement with Boston Carmen's ATU Local 589, whose 3,000-plus members represent more than half of the MBTA's affiliated workers, a day after the Healey administration and union officials announced the deal.
The four-year, $55 million contract will increase wages 7% in the first year and 18% over its full duration, boost starting pay for new employees, offer sign-on bonuses, expand health benefits and more.
"It's kind of a sea change in terms of the administration really being behind the workforce and making the commitments and the investments that are required for return to a first-class service level," MBTA Board Chair Thomas Glynn said before approving the contract.
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MBTA Chief Workforce Officer Ahmad Barnes said the agreement also creates a 10% pensionable bonus for employees who are eligible for retirement but stay on the workforce as well as "longevity incentives" at certain career anniversaries like 10 years of service. Those are both designed to help the T -- which has been struggling to build up its workforce amid a tough hiring market and significant employee attrition -- hang onto more veteran, experienced workers.
About 14% of Local 589's bargaining unit, representing more than 460 employees, are currently retirement eligible, Barnes said.
Barnes praised the speed at which negotiators reached an agreement as "historical." Most contracts are bargained for a year or longer, he said, and both sides this time found consensus after about seven months of talks.
