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Commuter-rail operators, unions urge Judiciary Committee to expand assault protections for transit workers
Summary
Workers, union leaders and contractors told the Joint Committee on the Judiciary that assaults on MBTA and commuter-rail staff have risen and current law leaves many transit contractors’ employees without the same legal protections as MBTA employees. Supporters asked the committee to report House Bill 18‑77 favorably.
The Joint Committee on the Judiciary heard multiple hours of testimony urging lawmakers to expand criminal protections for transit workers, saying assaults on commuter‑rail and contractor staff are rising and current law leaves gaps for workers employed by private contractors.
Adela Shazray, CEO of Keolis Commuter Services, told the committee the commuter‑rail workforce “does not have the same protections against assault and battery as other public transit workers,” and described a pattern of underreporting and insufficient enforcement. Bill Baradino, vice president and assistant business agent for Amalgamated Transit Union Local 589, said the union tracked 629 assaults on MBTA…
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