With TWU agreement earlier this year, ten of fourteen unions now have updated contracts

December 18, 2024 (BOSTON) – Keolis Commuter Services (Keolis), the MBTA’s operating and maintenance partner for the Commuter Rail, has reached amended labor agreements today with an additional nine of the company’s fourteen unions. The agreements, which still need to be ratified by members of each union, will be retroactive to July 1, 2023, when the contracts became amendable. 

“Keolis is pleased to have reached fair agreements with nine of our fourteen unions today,” said Abdellah Chajai, CEO and General Manager of Keolis Commuter Services. “We’re proud to be one of the largest employers in Massachusetts and these agreements reflect our commitment to our workforce. The railroad is a legacy industry and we want it to continue to be a place where people are proud to work and develop a career." 

“We’re proud to have reached this strong agreement on behalf of the members of the nine unions we represent at Keolis. This contract ensures that our members will continue to receive the pay and benefits they deserve for the hard work they do,” said Matt Hollis, Chairman of the coalition of unions that reached agreement with Keolis today. 

The coalition includes: American Railway and Airway Supervisors Association (ARASA), The Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division (BMWED), Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), Brotherhood of Railway Signalmen (BRS), International Brotherhood of Boilermakers (IBB), International Association of Machinists (IAM), Transportation Communications Union (TCU), Brotherhood of Railway Carmen (BRC), SMART Sheetmetal, and National Conference of Firemen and Oilers (NCFO).    

Among other provisions, the five-year agreements include: paid sick leave, annual wage increases, unmatched health and welfare benefits, enhancements to the bereavement and vacation policy, and the addition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday.   

Earlier this year, KCS and the Transport Workers Union of America (TWU) reached an agreement, overwhelmingly ratified by TWU’s membership. With today’s additional agreements, KCS has now settled with ten of our fourteen unions.  

Keolis Commuter Services has marked its tenth year operating and maintaining the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s commuter rail system, the sixth largest commuter rail operation in North America. KCS is a subsidiary of Keolis North America (KNA), both headquartered in Boston, and employs approximately 2,500 people throughout the region. KCS and KNA are part of Keolis Group, an innovative global leader in transit services with more than a century of passenger transportation experience and operations in 13 countries. 

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