Brothers and Sisters,

The MBTA Police Association Benevolent Fund was established in 2013 as a 501c3 (the intent was to raise funds which could be used to aid members in a time of need and carry on other charitable activities). This fund has been inactive for several years and we want to find motivated members to take control and run it.  We would need a minimum of three members (President, Vice President, Clerk) to manage the fund and wanted to inquire with the membership if there was any interest in participating. If after 15 days no members wish to get involved, we will file the appropriate paperwork in order to dissolve the corporation, and donate the current funds to a charitable cause. Please send an email to Eboard@MBTAPA.com to inquire more or to let us know you are interested in participating.

As we have stated in the last few weeks the administration has agreed to fulfill their commitment to our association and provide the department gym with two new pieces of fitness equipment. Last year several members of our association contributed money to updating pieces of outdated gear in the gym. We would like to contribute to the process of upgrading the equipment and have worked it out with the administration to replace the current bench press with an additional power cage. The idea is to make the small amount of working space as versatile as possible. We will also be providing a stable adjustable bench to ensure the space can be utilized in its current capacity, as well as a variety of additional exercises. If any members have questions or concerns about this, please contact an Eboard member.

The Transit Police Runners Club will be participating in the Marine Corps Honor run tomorrow May 11th, at Carson Beach in South Boston, as well as the annual Run To Remember on May 26th in the Seaport. The Runners Club has registered as a team for both events. Team shirts were made up and are still available for purchase. If any members are interested in participating with the team please contact Joe Rossi to coordinate registration for either event.  

Fraternally,

The E-Board

Brothers and Sisters,

This morning the E-Board had a meeting with members of the MBTA Labor Relations Council. It was the first meeting in the process of negotiating a successor contract. The focus of the meeting was to establish the ground rules of the negotiations between us and the MBTA. Going forward we will not be able to discuss the content of future negotiations, however we will make every attempt to update you on any meetings that have taken place.

Labor relations was unable to provide us with any update on the retro payment timeline.  As of now there is no time frame for us to receive it, if this changes through any official word from labor relations we will immediately update you. 

The E-Board also met with the Superintendent last week to discuss quality of life issues. It was a productive meeting and we intend to meet on a regular basis going forward. If there are any issues throughout the department that feel need to be addressed please contact an E-Board member. 

Be aware that Admin Schedule Officers (5&2) should have received an unexpected amount of time owed this week. This is due to the time owed being distributed wrong over the last several years. The issue has been resolved and any member who was entitled to time should have been given the difference of what they were owed.  The time is calculated at 1/3 of a day (2.666 hours) for every year you have been on a 5&2 schedule, going back to 2015.  

Please check your balance in the GUI to ensure you have received what was owed to you. You can find the hours under the “Time Owed Earned” section of the balance sheet. The latest hours should have posted on 04/30/2019. 

Fraternally,

The E-Board

Brothers and Sisters,

The longevity pay has been adjusted in this pay periods check, which posted this morning. All those entitled to longevity pay have been receiving a bi-weekly base pay rate of $2540, since the pay raise took effect of February. Your new rate as of today should be $2608 for your base bi-weekly rate. If you believe you are entitled to the longevity pay as a condition of our last MOU (2014-2018) and are not receiving the correct rate, please notify an E-board member or send an email to Eboard@mbtapa.com so that we can address it. 

The March financial statements have also been uploaded for your viewing to the association web site, and can be found under the “Financial Reports” tab in the Members Resources.

We want to wish all members of the department softball team luck tomorrow as they participate in the 2nd Annual Sean Gannon Memorial Softball Tournament.

On a last note we would like to remind all of you of the fact you have the right to have an E-Board member review any To/From report you are ordered to write, prior to its submission. Please make every attempt to send the reports to us from a private email address. As always if any of you have questions or concerns, we encourage you to contact an E-Board member.

Fraternally,

The E-Board

This afternoon the executive board had a meeting with Superintendent Sullivan to discuss the current state of the department, along with various issues and concerns of the body. These discussions were very positive, and although we cannot disseminate every on going issue we discussed, we would like to shine some light on a few issues that were talked about today.

Information regarding Blue Team reports was greatly discussed. All parties agreed that more training, specifically in regards to use of force and the correct completion of Blue Team reports, was pivotal. Our hopes, along with the department going forward, are to implement more training in Blue Team reports through roll call training, in-service, etc.

Baseball hats are currently in the process of being ordered. Once here officers will be issued 1 hat through the training department. Any additional hats any officer may want, will be required to be purchased at the officer’s expense. The issued baseball hats will be allowed to be worn with the spring/summer uniform, and only on “A” and “C” road detail assignments.

2 pieces of gym equipment are also being purchased by the department in relation to wellness program settlement. This equipment will replace some of the older equipment currently in the gym, which will then be sent down to the academy for their use. We urge any and all members who may want to suggest specific equipment to replace, reach out to an executive board member with the ideas.

Separate from today’s meeting and in regards to payroll, the “C” rate has been updated and will reflect in the upcoming paycheck. We are aware that the longevity issue has not been resolved at this time and are still attempting to fix the issue. No new information has been provided concerning the retroactive pay for the contract, and members will be notified when we receive more information.

Any questions please feel free to ask them at the meeting on Sunday, or contact an executive board member.

The Financial Statement for February 2019 is available for your viewing. It can be found in its respective area titled “Financial Statements” on the menu bar. If you have any questions, as always please contact an E-Board member or send an inquiry to Eboard@MBTAPA.com

Fraternally,

The E-Board

Brothers and Sisters,

After speaking with a representative from the SMART Plan, the E-Board has learned the following. If your plan contributions are made with a percentage of your pay check, that percentage will be taken from the retro check as well.

For example if a member receives a gross payment of $40,000 (this is not what everyone will receive but a number used for simple math), and your SMART Plan contributions are set for 10%, you will have $4,000 deducted from your gross retroactive earnings and put into your SMART Plan.

If you have your contributions set for a fixed dollar amount, you will not be in jeopardy of over contributing. The E-Board does not have a time frame for when we will receive the retro payment, however we want you to be aware of this issue and be prepared to make the necessary changes to your contributions in the event you do not wish to contribute an abnormally high amount. As always if you have any questions please contact an E-Board member.

Fraternally,

The E-Board