Call to Action in Mass.: Transit Safety Legislation Up for Final Vote

The Massachusetts Senate will vote on a crucial bill tomorrow (Thursday, November 6) at approximately 11:00 a.m.  

If your schedule allows, please attend tomorrow’s hearing to remind legislators that our transit brothers and sisters deserve the strongest protections possible. 

The bill, S. 2531, ensures that public and private transit workers receive the same protection from violent assaults as public employees. Rising violence in public transit is a problem that’s too common nationwide.  

“We’ve got the momentum on our side, but we can’t let up now,” said SMART-TD’s New England Safety and Legislative Director Dave Stevenson. “With the help of our SMART-TD family, I’m confident that we can get this legislation over the finish line and make it clear that transit safety is an urgent issue. Let’s get this done!” 

SMART-TD members are asked to attend the hearing to show our support for the legislation. 

On October 22, the Massachusetts House unanimously passed its version of the bill by a vote of 160-0, sending a clear message that lawmakers see the urgent need for this legislation.  Support for the bill in the Senate is strong, but no lawmakers’ vote can be taken for granted. If passed tomorrow, the bill will be one step closer to being signed into law.

Make the Punishment Fit the Crime

S. 2531 guarantees that contracted transit employees, such as Keolis Commuter Services conductors, engineers, and onboard crews, are granted the same legal protections against assaults as their counterparts working directly for public transit authorities.  
 
Currently assault on a public employee in Massachusetts carries a penalty of up to 120 days in jail or a maximum $5,000 fine 
 
If passed, the bill would ensure that this same punishment would also apply to transit workers employed by private companies like Keolis, which employs over 500 SMART-TD members.  
 
S. 2531 also adds “bodily fluids” to the definition of an assault, which imposes strong incentives for passengers assaulting our members with their spit or urine. 

Assaults on Keolis Employees Continue to Rise

Cole Czub, chairperson of Local 898 and vice chairperson of SMART-TD’s Bus and Transit Assault Prevention and Safety (BTAPS) Committee, points out that this isn’t an issue that exists in a vacuum: it’s a real problem that our members face every day.  
 
“I refuse to let our SMART-TD brothers and sisters who work for Keolis fall through the cracks because of an unintended loophole in the current law,” said Czub. “If passage of this bill results in one less headline about yet another violent attack on public transportation, that’s a win for transit safety across the country.”  
 
SMART News has covered the issue of transit assault in-depth, and we will continue to highlight this glaring problem until all bus and transit operators can perform their jobs with the utmost professionalism in the safest environment possible.  
 
Passage of this bill gets us one step closer to one day making that a reality.  
 
Support S. 2531 and help strengthen transit safety in New England!