Officials: 4-Year Deal With T's Largest Union To Save $80M

BOSTON (AP) — The MBTA and its largest union have reached agreement on a new contract that transit officials say will save the cash-strapped system more than $80 million over the next four years.

Under the deal announced Monday, the 4,100-member Carmen's Union will forego a 2.5 percent pay raise that was scheduled to take effect in June. But in exchange, most union members including bus and subway drivers and bus maintenance workers would be protected from having their jobs outsourced over the next four years.

The control board that oversees the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority approved the contract, which was earlier ratified by union members.

The agreement running through mid-2021 also changes work rules to prohibit union employees from collecting overtime unless they've already worked at least 40 hours in a week.