Union will fight MBTA's post-crash cellphone ban
The union that represents MBTA subway, bus, and trolley operators filed a grievance against the T's stringent new cellphone policy yesterday, five days after the union president said he "absolutely" supported it.
The turnabout prompted outrage on Beacon Hill. Patrick administration officials called it unconscionable, and lawmakers vowed to file a bill that would give the policy the force of law.
The Boston Carmen's Union filed the grievance on the same day the T officially fired Aiden Quinn, the 24-year-old Green Line operator blamed for a rear-end crash last week. Officials said Quinn told them he was text-messaging his girlfriend when he ignored a red light, causing a crash that injured nearly 50 people and destroyed three trolleys.
The cellphone policy, which becomes official Monday, is believed to be the nation's strictest; it forbids on-duty operators from keeping a cellphone or other electronic device in a pocket, purse, or anywhere in an MBTA vehicle.
Those caught using a cellphone while driving can be fired after a first offense; those caught in possession of one will get a 10-day suspension and can be fired on second offense.
Union president Steve MacDougall had endorsed the new rule Saturday, when the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's general manager, Daniel A. Grabauskas, outlined the policy's parameters.
"I mean, we haven't seen the final version, but with the detailed conversations the general manager and I have been involved in, my understanding of the policy we anticipate to be released, the Carmen's Union's intent is - and we think obligation to the public - we think is to embrace this," MacDougall said Saturday. "And not just for public safety or political reasons. We think it's the right thing to do."
But when Grabauskas unveiled specifics at a news conference on Wednesday, MacDougall did not attend. His members have been worried that they will not be able to take care of personal business while on breaks during their shifts.
MacDougall did not respond to a message yesterday.
"This union would appreciate leadership on the issue," union secretary John A. Clancy wrote to the T. "But threats of 10 days off, costing several thousand dollars, or discharge for merely carrying a calculator inadvertently in one's back-pack constitute a poverty of leadership."
Although the policy is written broadly, appearing to ban any "portable electronic devices," MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said calculators would not be barred.
Yesterday, Grabauskas said he was "disappointed that the union has retreated from its initial strong support for a policy that I know will save lives."
Transportation Secretary James A. Aloisi Jr. called the grievance "unconscionable" and proof the union is out of touch with reality.
"I am sorry to learn that the Carmen's Union has decided that the personal convenience of their members will take priority over public safety," he said.
Eric Moskowitz of the Globe staff contributed to this report. Noah Bierman can be reached at nbierman@globe.com. 