OTR: Mass. AG Andrea Campbell on rideshares, MBTA

WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, ANDREA CAMPBELL. YOU REACHED $175 MILLION AGREEMENT WITH RIDESHARE COMPANIES OVER PAY AND BENEFITS FOR DRIVERS. SO THAT AGREEMENT WILL KEEP THE ISSUE FROM BECOMING A BALLOT QUESTION IN NOVEMBER. SO WHAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED HERE. THIS IS HISTORIC. I’M I HAVE TO SAY, I AM SO PROUD OF MY TEAM. THE LAWYERS AND THE STAFF THAT WORK AT THE AGO. I OFTEN SAY THEY ARE OVERWORKED, UNDERPAID. THEY’RE DEDICATED PUBLIC SERVANTS WORKING LONG DAYS, 18 HOUR DAYS, MAYBE EVEN 24 HOUR DAYS IN PARTICULAR. TO GET THIS DEAL DONE. THIS WILL DELIVER FOR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF DRIVERS WHO ARE OFTEN PEOPLE OF COLOR, LOW INCOME EARNERS IN MASSACHUSETTS HOLD UBER AND LYFT ACCOUNTABLE FOR UNDERPAYING THESE FOLKS. IT SETS A MINIMUM IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY NEED TO BE PAID AT 32.5, IT BRINGS ABOUT PAY ACCESS TO PAID FAMILY LEAVE, SICK TIME, A PROGRAM THAT’S SIMILAR TO WORKERS COMP, ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE. ALL THESE THINGS THEY DIDN’T HAVE BEFORE. AND DRIVERS WILL TELL YOU IN SOME CASES THEY MADE LESS THAN MINIMUM WAGE. IT DOES AWAY WITH THE BALLOT QUESTION WHICH HAVE WHICH WOULD HAVE GIVEN THEM EVEN LESSER BENEFITS. UM, AND REALLY SETS A PATH FORWARD THAT RECOGNIZES THE DIGNITY OF THESE WORKERS, GIVES THEM WHAT THEY NEED, AND IT DEMONSTRATES ONE THING ABOUT THE AGO. AND I LOVE BEING THE AG OF THE STATE. WHEN WE SEE A PROBLEM, WE WORK TO RESOLVE IT AND TO GET THINGS DONE AND TO BRING ABOUT MEANINGFUL CHANGE THAT PEOPLE CAN ATTACH THEMSELVES TO. BUT ALSO FEEL. SO I’M EXCITED. AND THEN THE 100 AND OVER $175 MILLION THAT WILL ALSO GO BACK AND GO BACK TO DRIVERS WHO LOST WAGES IN THE PAST. RIGHT. SO SO THE AG PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE IN THE BALLOT QUESTION PROCESS. SO SO THAT’S RIGHT. THAT’S NOT GOING TO BE ON THE BALLOT OBVIOUSLY THAT ONE RIGHT. WILL WILL THE ISSUE FOR TIPPED WORKERS OTHER OR WHETHER MCAS SHOULD BE A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. WILL THAT GET TO VOTERS IN NOVEMBER. ABSOLUTELY. AND BOTH OF THEM YOU THINK BOTH OF THEM. YEAH. EXACTLY. HOW MANY DO YOU THINK. HOW MANY QUESTIONS DO YOU THINK RIGHT NOW? I THINK WE HAVE AND I SHOULD KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. FIVE. BUT FIVE. I THINK THAT THE I THINK THAT’S RIGHT. CAN YOU SHARE WHAT WHAT OTHER ONES YOU’RE CONSIDERING. SO THE COURT JUST CAME DOWN TIPPED WORKERS. EVERYTHING HAVING TO DO WITH MCAS, THE UNIONIZATION OF THESE TRANSPORTATION NETWORK DRIVERS. SO MORE TO COME ON THAT. AND WE WILL PUT MORE INFORMATION OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC SPACE. I’M SO TIED UP IN UBER AND LYFT THAT MY TEAM AND TEAM DEMOCRACY IN MY OFFICE WOULD GO THIS IS IT. BUT QUICKLY, WE WANT TO TALK. WE DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY. YES, 130 CITIES AND TOWNS. THEY ARE APPROACHING THAT DEADLINE FOR THE MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT AT THE END OF 2024. THAT’S RIGHT. WE KNOW MILTON IS SUING. THAT’S IN COURT. WHERE DO THINGS STAND WITH THAT SITUATION? AND HAVE YOU HEARD BACK FROM ENOUGH OF THESE CITIES AND TOWNS WITH WORKABLE PLANS? MOST OF WHAT I’VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TODAY HAS TO DO WITH AFFORDABILITY ECONOMICS, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT’S THE NUMBER ONE ISSUE THAT RESIDENTS CARE ABOUT. HOUSING IS A CRITICAL TO WHEN IT COMES TO AFFORDABILITY AND RIGHT NOW IN MASSACHUSETTS, IT’S CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO BUY A HOME HERE. AND SO ENFORCEMENT OF THE MBTA COMMUNITIES LAW IS CRITICAL. MY JOB. AND SO THERE ARE THERE ARE SEVERAL MUNICIPALITIES RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE COME INTO COMPLIANCE. FRANKLY, THEY’RE NOT EVEN GETTING THE THE THE STORY THAT THEY DESERVE. THEY’RE ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES. MILTON IS THE EXCEPTION. AND SO WE SUED THEM. MILTON’S OUT THERE. ARE THERE RIGHT NOW. MILTON IS THE ONLY ONE. THE ONLY ONE. IT’S THE ONLY ONE. AND SO OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE, PASS BYLAWS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE ARE WORKING WITH THEM. I FEEL LIKE EVERY DAY IN TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND PROVIDING THAT TO THEM, TO COME INTO COMPLIANCE. WE KNOW THIS LAW IS CRITICAL. IT’S AN OPPORTUNITY, NOT ONLY TO BUILD MORE HOUSING AND TO BRING MORE HOUSING ONLINE. IT WAS PASSED BY GOVERNOR BAKER IN A DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATURE. BECAUSE THIS TOOL IS SO POWERFUL, IT’S A MANDATORY TOOL TO BRING ABOUT MORE HOUSING. AND RIGHT NOW, IN MASSACHUSETTS, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WHAT WE NEED OUR THANKS TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL FOR SITTING IN THE CHAIR THIS MORNING. GREAT TO SEE YOU HERE. HAVE A GREAT FOURTH. THANK YOU. YOU TOO. I’LL CIRCLE BACK ON THE BALLOT QUESTION YOU PROMISED. BUT ALL THINGS UBER AND LYFT. VERY PROUD OF THE TEAM. THAT’S GOOD. THAT WAS A LONG WORK OF 175 MILLION. IS A GOOD, GOOD NUMBER TO HIT THE SUNDAY ROUNDTABLE IS NEXT HERE ON OTR. AND OUR ANALYSTS HAVE A LOT. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE TO SAY, IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WE’RE GOI