Mass Turnpike pay and conditions cause problems in integration with DOT

Turnpike pay scales and conditions often 50% higher than the state highway department are causing major problems in efforts to integrate the two into a new Massachusetts DOT. The incoming secretary and present Turnpike CEO Jeffrey Mullan said this week in the state legislature that reconciling the differences presented "significant challenges."

The legislation authorizing the new integrated DOT generally requires adoption of the less expensive of various pay and benefit arrangements.

At a legislative committee hearing this week Mullan said: "The Turnpike Authority is the most impacted agency. We have to treat people fairly. We’re not doing enough.”

He appeared to be asking legislators to exempt 1200 Turnpike employees from being brought down to the level of their Highway Department colleagues.

Chairman of the transportation committee Steve Baddour (Dem) said he was open to making what he called a "technical change" to protect Turnpike employees in the new DOT.

Representative John Fresolo, Dem-Worcester, told Mullan he, too, was concerned about possible pending pay cuts for turnpike workers, declaring: "Savings should not be made on the backs of workers."

Fresolo suggested reinstituting tolls at the western six exits of the turnpike as a new source of revenue.

Integration was suggested by its enthusiasts as a means of achieving greater efficiency. Economies of tens of millions of dollars a year were promised as savings to taxpayers.

"Technical changes" to the integration plan could cause those to savings to go poof.

TOLLROADSnews 2009-10-09