MBTA hikes sign-on bonus for new hires to $7,500

The MBTA has hiked its hiring bonus to $7,500 across eligible positions in an effort to fill jobs as it struggles to run timely trains and buses amid a hiring crunch and a variety of safety concerns.

The T announced Monday it was bumping up the hiring bonus to $7,500 from its previous $4,500 level.

Open jobs that qualify for the bonus include bus operators, rail repairers, track laborers, streetcar operators, subway train operators, service technicians, and fuelers.  Previously, only bus operator slots qualified for the sign-on cash.

The hiring push comes on the same day that the fiscal watchdog Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation issued an in-depth analysis finding the statewide effort to support the T was sorely lacking.

The MTF report calls for an all-hands on deck approach from Beacon Hill legislators and the Governor’s office to get the agency back on track, emphasizing that the T can’t do it alone.

“Even with a larger pipeline, sufficient resources, and faster hiring processes, solving labor force challenges are likely beyond the MBTA’s or any other single institution’s abilities,” the report states. “Ensuring that the MBTA can safely and effectively operate its current system must be the top priority of lawmakers.”

The MBTA is trying to bring on roughly 2,000 more members of its workforce, according to its 2024 budget.

With Monday’s sign-on bonus bump, the T also announced it was participating in a variety of job fairs in the coming months and would even send out a mobile “recruitment” bus throughout Boston’s neighborhoods to facilitate easy applications.

The T’s mobile recruitment effort will “include a customized MBTA bus outfitted with workstations and computers where applicants can meet with MBTA recruiters, discuss career opportunities, and apply for a job on the spot,” the agency said.

Open jobs can be viewed at mbta.com/careers.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/JRK2OqE