‘One day stronger': Hundreds of drivers for MBTA’s ‘The RIDE’ program strike over health insurance cuts

Hundreds of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority drivers went on strike Sunday over cuts to their health insurance benefits.

Around 350 employees from the MBTA’s “The RIDE” program, which provides transportation to disabled residents across 58 communities in Greater Boston, walked the picket lines in Watertown and Everett, according to a statement from the Teamsters Local 25.

Members of the union who are employed at Veterans Transportation Service, which provides paratransit for The RIDE program, voted unanimously to reject the company’s final contract offer and go on strike, the statement said.

The workers went on strike due to Veterans Transportation’s demands for significant health insurance increases, according to the Teamsters Local 25.

The RIDE drivers have been deemed essential since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak and have worked throughout pandemic, the union noted.

“Veterans Transportation is a highly profitable company denying its own workers affordable health insurance during a global pandemic,” said Teamsters Local 25 President Sean M. O’Brien. “These men and women are essential workers who have put themselves and their families at risk providing essential services during this time.

“Our members at Veterans Transportation can be assured we will fight for them and will not rest until they receive a fair contract.”

The RIDE program is administered by the MBTA’s Office for Transportation Access and is operated in compliance with the federal government’s Americans with Disabilities Act.

The transportation service runs seven days a week from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. and has operated on its regular schedule even during the COVID-19 public health crisis, though shared rides have been cancelled. All trips must be booked one to three days in advance as well.

The Teamsters Local 25, New England’s largest teamster union with more than 12,000 members, has urged other union members and supporters to join those on the picket lines.

The union noted its plans on continuing the strike 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“Thank you in advance for your support and solidarity!,” the Teamsters Local 25 said in a Facebook post. “One day stronger, one day longer.”

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