Silent strike

Sources: Dissatisfied commuter rail employees delaying trains

BOSTON. In the past two months, commuter rail employees have been participating in a covert “working strike” — holding up service and causing significant train delays — in retaliation for what they consider poor treatment by management, according to sources who spoke to Metro.

Conductors and engineers have been refusing to work overtime when the commuter rail is short staffed, or operate trains when there are minor maintenance issues, like a burned out bulb, in order to stick it to their employer — the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad — the company contracted by the T to run the commuter rail, a source told Metro.

“No one is going the extra mile for them anymore. They have been messing with the employees so much,” said an employee who asked not to be identified for fear of management retaliation.

This silent working strike has translated into steep delays for commuter rail riders systemwide.

Statistics provided to Metro show that between September and October – when the working strike began – on-time performance on every single line, except one, decreased. The north side branches' on-time performance dropped from 86 percent to 74 percent between September and October, while the south side on-time performance plummeted from 73 percent to 64 percent.

“We call it working within the rules. We work exactly to what our job description is. We aren’t doing anything illegal but we aren’t doing anything extra,” said the source.

Working within the rules means employees are refusing to open more than one or two doors on commuter rail coaches, so riders have to line up to file out of only a few exits.

After arriving at South Station, conductors and engineers are taking their time before getting to their new assignment even though the schedule is tight, according to the source.

“Before all this nonsense we would cut corners to make service better. We would run from one train to another. Not anymore,” said the employee. “Before if a light wasn’t working we would fix it after the trip, now, we say ‘there’s a problem with the light we aren’t moving until it’s fixed.’ Legally it’s what we should have been doing anyway.”

The source said the strike was quietly decided upon by employees, who gather in a crew quarters in the basement of South Station, after crew assignments for the new Greenbush line came out about two months ago. Apparently, the assignments cut precious hours from employee schedules, equaling less pay.

This was the last straw, considering employees had long been complaining about a poor sick-time policy, shoddy crew quarters and the outlawing of shift switches, where employees switch shifts with each other when something personal comes up.

“You feel bad for the riders, but at what point do you say enough is enough? They keep burning you. We love these passengers. But it’s still your livelihood,” said the source.

A representative with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen, which represents train engineers, denied that the workers were participating in any retaliatory actions against management — but did admit there is tension with MBCR.

An official with the union representing the conductors could not be reached for comment.

On Nov. 16, the president of MBCR, Jim O’Leary sent a letter to the head of the two unions offering “gestures” to smooth over tensions in the hopes of resuming a working relationship. Those included a change in the sick-time policy, better crew quarters and reinstating shift switching among employees, as long as it’s approved by a manager.

In a statement released to Metro yesterday, MBCR said it has made a good-faith effort to reaffirm partnerships with train and engine employees. Officials have met more than a dozen times with union leadership to address issues that arose from the Greenbush opening, according to the statement.

“MBCR has a high degree of confidence that labor and management have moved beyond recent differences, and are committed to improving passenger service,” the statement read.

The source said the gestures may have come too late.

“Why do you think they are coming out with a five-page bribe? ‘We’ll do this for you, we’ll do that for you.’ All of a sudden now we can get more than one bathroom for 300 men? All we ever wanted is to be treated like human beings,” said the source.

“They are just scared they aren’t going to get the (commuter rail) contract next year.”