BUSINESS BRIEFS: Commuter Rail Workers, Waters Tech, Unemployment, etc.

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The chamber serves the communities of Bellingham, Franklin, Holliston, Hopedale, Hopkinton, Medway, Milford, Mendon, Millis, and Upton. More information is available at https://www.tricountychamberma.org

Commuter Rail Workers Unhappy

The breakthrough labor agreement MBTA officials and union leaders reached last year included significant increases in pay, retention bonuses and other perks that supporters say are already yielding benefits for the workforce's culture. But over on the commuter rail, whose operations the MBTA contracts out to Keolis Commuter Services, employees are telling a far different story. More than a dozen Keolis workers packed into an MBTA Board meeting last month to describe low pay and lackluster benefits, and they urged the agency's leader to think about "safeguards" the T can install when the time comes to decide the future of commuter rail operations. "For years, the MBTA has treated the commuter rail as the illegitimate stepchild of the MBTA, only paying child support to whoever runs it, and the provider takes their cut before it comes down to us," said Ed Flaherty, president of Local 2054 Transportation Workers Union, which represents car inspectors and coach cleaners at Keolis, Amtrak and CLX. When Amtrak was in charge of running the T's commuter rail about 20 years ago, Flaherty said, worker wages were "identical" across the two agencies, and employees at the commuter rail were paid similarly to their counterparts at other agencies. "Today, we are the lowest-paid by far," Flaherty told the board, describing his colleagues as paid 12 percent less than Amtrak workers, 16 percent less than workers at Metro North, and 11 percent less than workers at New Jersey Transit.

New Waters Tech

Waters Corporation (NYSE:WAT), Milford, has announced HPLC CONNECT software, an all-in-one software platform that enables full digital synchronization between Waters high- and ultra-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC/UPLC) systems and multi-angle light-scattering instruments (MALS) from its Wyatt Technology™ portfolio. The software delivers ease-of-use, greater efficiency, and higher confidence for scientists performing size exclusion chromatography and MALS (SEC-MALS) analyses for complex and critical biopharmaceutical innovations, including antibody drug conjugates, other complex protein conjugates, and gene therapies.

Mass Unemployment & Job Estimates for January 2024

The state’s January total unemployment rate was 3.0 percent, down 0.2 percentage point from the revised December estimate of 3.2 percent, the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development announced Friday. The Massachusetts unemployment rate was 0.7 percentage points lower than the national rate of 3.7 percent reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Over-the-year, the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was down by 0.5 percentage points. The labor force grew by an estimated 400 from the revised estimate of 3,749,900 in December, with 8,000 more residents employed and 7,600 fewer residents unemployed over-the-month. The state’s labor force participation rate – the total number of residents 16 or older who worked or were unemployed and actively sought work in the last four weeks – remained at 64.9 percent over-the-month. Compared to January 2023, the labor force participation rate was down 0.1 percentage point.

State Boosts Community College Training Funds

The Healey-Driscoll Administration has announced they are awarding $1.5 million in grants for new community college workforce training programs for adults looking to enter or re-enter the workforce. The grants, which are part of the Training Resources and Internships Network (TRAIN) program, are being issued to 13 community colleges across Massachusetts to prepare residents for careers in fields such as education, health care, addiction recovery, cyber security, and manufacturing. The grants are estimated to provide free career training to more than 400 adult learners at community colleges across Massachusetts, with all programs targeting residents who are unemployed or underemployed. “The success of MassReconnect has demonstrated that Massachusetts residents are eager to further their careers, and these training programs are another way to meet that need,” said Governor Maura Healey. “TRAIN grants allow community colleges to be responsive to regional workforce needs and quickly prepare residents to fill critical roles in our cities and towns.” “These grants will not only offer new career opportunities to those seeking them, but they will bring lasting benefits to our communities by increasing the number of trained professionals in our schools, hospitals and beyond,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “Massachusetts residents win across the board when employers in key industries can look into their communities and find the talent they need to carry out their missions.”