The five-year deal provides BLET members with general wage increases and numerous quality of life improvements. Photo: Sean McPherson
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BLET members ratified a new contract with Keolis Commuter Services for locomotive engineers working at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) in Boston. Ratified on February 5, the agreement governs rates of pay, benefits and work rules for 194 members.
The five-year deal is retroactive to July 1, 2023, and provides general wage increases of 25.0% (5% for 2023; 5% for 2024; 5% in 2025; 5% in 2026; and 5% in 2027). The deal also includes an additional $2.00 per hour on top of the 5% GWI in 2027, totaling a compounded GWI of 31.87% through the term of the agreement.
Other improvements include:
• Addition of three paid sick days, annually.
• Improvement to the current Bereavement Leave language with the inclusion of additional family members.
• Lowering the current factor day requirement for annual vacation to 160 factor days, and allowing two weeks to be utilized in the single day format.
• Addition of holiday for Juneteenth.
• Affords Local Chairmen discovery for formal on-property investigations.
• New hires would still receive vacation time if they fail to hit required factor days within first two years of employment.
Members governed by this agreement belong to BLET Division 57 in Boston. The negotiating team consisted of Amtrak General Chairman Pat Darcy; Vice General Chairman Gabriel Perez; Secretary-Treasurer Brad Cleary; National Vice President Jim Louis; Division 57 Local Chairman Gary Hobson; and Division 57 Special Representative Paul Chaput.
Keolis operates MBTA’s 14 commuter rail lines serving the Greater Boston region and Rhode Island. It is the nation’s fifth-busiest commuter rail system, serving nearly 90,000 passengers on weekdays.