T overtime jumped $10M in ’18
Hike came as agency’s overall payroll declined
MBTA employees hopped aboard the OT gravy train last year as the long-beleaguered transit agency shelled out $10 million more in overtime cash — a 14 percent increase — than it did in 2017, according to state data. The T plunked down $82 million in overtime in 2018, up from $72 million, even as the total payroll ticked downward. “This increase in overtime pay is unusual, and for that reason worrisome,” said Suffolk University economics professor David Tuerck of the Beacon Hill Institute. “Why do we need to be putting so many more workers on overtime?” The state comptroller released all of its departments’ payroll data yesterday, and the T fell second behind the University of Massachusetts system in the share each department makes up of the total $7.74 billion budget. “The increase in overtime spending was driven by the enormous progress in capital improvement work,” T spokesman Joe Pesaturo told the Herald. “In addition to capital program support, overtime costs were incurred during significant weather events in January and March and for the Red Sox parade.” The T’s total payroll was $554 million last year, down from $560 million in 2017. That’s on the back of decreases in base pay, dropping from $480 million to $446 million. “The MBTA credits operating more efficiently, effective management techniques and reduced absenteeism,” Pesaturo said of the drop. The T is in the midst of a multiyear, $8 billion investment plan meant to bring the system toward a state of good repair. When work disrupts subway trains, buses have to take over — meaning OT pay starts raining in for drivers. Bus drivers all together pulled in the biggest chunk of overtime cash for any one position, totaling $13.4 million. The lowest rank of T cops raked in $7.2 million in OT, and rail repairers snagged $5.25 million, according to the state data. Employees in the Carmen’s union, which includes bus drivers and repairmen, made $32.8 million in OT last year. Comps for previous years for many of these numbers were not immediately available, as the state’s normally sharp payroll system began including T money for the first time in 2017 — and the numbers for that year were wrong, according to the transit agency. Some T workers made off particularly well, as 15 employees made more than $100,000 in overtime pay. One foreman and wire worker augmented his $114,962 base pay last year with $159,203 in overtime — the most of any T employee. In second place was a T cop, who earned $114,731 in overtime. His base salary was listed as $75,610. Data show 27 T employees brought home more than $200,000 total, up from 18 in 2017. Former T General Manager Luis Ramirez was the agency’s highest-paid employee, nabbing $315,000 between his $310,000 base pay and some extra from the agreement he signed as he departed the T in December. Charles Chieppo, a transportation watcher for the Pioneer Institute, said this jump may be expected after such dramatic drops and reforms over the past several years due to lax oversight that allowed workers to approve their own overtime. “Now there is a system, at least,” Chieppo said, adding that some fluctuations are to be expected as the T’s reforms continue to settle in. “You’re always trying to find that happy medium of not having too many people on the payroll while keeping overtime down.”