MBTA hiring subway dispatchers: Starting pay $103,000 and $10K bonus
Wanted: MBTA subway dispatchers at $103,000 starting pay plus a $10,000 signing bonus.
Five have been hired and the T needs 10 more before it revisits a resumption of regular, weekday subway service, the transit agency announced Thursday.
All new hires are required to undergo a 10-week training program; four of the new dispatchers started their training on Monday, and the fifth is set to begin on July 27, according to MBTA Chief Human Resources Officer Tom Waye.
Waye said the job posting drew 87 applicants, but only 22 were eligible candidates. Eight have been interviewed.
“Addressing the challenges at the OCC is one of our four special directives,” Waye said at Thursday’s Planning, Workforce, Development and Compensation subcommittee meeting. “(The) targeted number is to hire 15 more heavy rail dispatchers on a rolling basis.”
The subway dispatcher job posting — which is only available to internal candidates — lists the annual salary at $103,667. It also notes that new hires are eligible for a $10,000 signing bonus, an incentive the T is using to make the job more attractive.
To try to draw more interest, the job has been opened up to light rail dispatchers, Waye said. The position had previously only been available to those with heavy rail experience; candidates must have also worked at least four years at the T.
The T is negotiating with the union to rehire retirees. Three former dispatchers, who are currently supervisory employees, have been rehired to temporarily work in the operations control center.
Addressing staffing shortages in the operating control center was one of the four special directives the Federal Transit Administration issued to the MBTA last month as part of its safety management inspection. The probe found that the subway dispatchers had been working 16-20 hour shifts to compensate for the shortage.
In response to the directive, the MBTA cut weekday service on three major subway lines, which has resulted in fewer trains and longer wait times for riders.
“The MBTA will revisit the reduced heavy rail schedule after it has adequate staffing to safely operate more service,” MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said.
MBTA representatives said Thursday that the agency has met, or plans to meet, timelines for submitting its corrective action plan for the three other federal directives: delayed track maintenance, train movement operating procedures, and employee safety recertifications.
The T could lose up to 25% of its federal funding if the FTA deems the agency has not properly complied with the directives.
Chief Administrative Officer David Panagore said the MBTA estimated it will cost $300 million to comply with the 22 corrective actions included in the four directives.
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/HtVIwY3
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