TRANSIT WORKERS WOULD gain expanded legal protections against assault and battery under a bill the House adopted unanimously Wednesday in response to what Speaker Ronald Mariano described as “growing concerns from transit agencies and labor advocates about the rising number of attacks on workers.”
The MBTA alone reported more than 600 assaults last year, including 33 assaults with weapons, 72 physical assaults and batteries, and 38 assaults and batteries with bodily fluids, Rep. Michael Day said as he introduced the bill (H 4645) that emerged from the Judiciary Committee he chairs.
The bill adds transit workers to the list of employees covered under the state law that imposes heightened penalties for assault and battery against public employees. It also makes clear that use of a bodily substance like saliva is covered under the assault charge. Rep. Joseph McGonagle of Everett, who sponsored the bill, said he’s seen the “injuries, scars and invisible wounds” of dozens of transit workers who were harmed on the job.
“I’ve met with workers who have been stabbed, threatened with firearms, spit on, and much more,” he said. “I’ve heard from a worker who has been left paralyzed and permanently disabled from one of these assaults.”
Under the House bill, which now goes to the Senate for consideration, offenders would face a sentence ranging from 90 days to two and a half years in a house of correction, a fine of between $500 and $5,000, or both. The head of the union that represents many MBTA operators said it hopes to see the Senate pass the same bill.
“Protecting transit workers is essential to maintaining a safe and quality public transportation system. This bill will ensure the safety of the essential workers who keep our communities moving every day,” Jim Evers, president of Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589, said.