Like Boston firefighters, T union will fight vaccine mandate unless members get something in return

Apart from which level of government has issued the mandate.

The legislature would have to pass a law mandating vaccination of all MBTA employees (or, more likely, employees of all transit agencies/companies providing intrastate transportation) to make this a non-issue with respect to collective bargaining. It gets more complicated with respect to the Commuter Rail since that's operated by Keolis and the legislature probably doesn't have authority here as the Commuter Rail provides interstate transportation -- that power of regulation is reserved to the federal government.

But unions suffer from the same problems as the management they claim to oppose. I've been in a few unions and found the union management to be just as bad as the lousy company bosses.

The union brass would argue for things I didn't agree with and agree to concessions I didn't want to make. The union's focus was on the older, longtime members and not the younger people doing most of the work. While there was union elections, the structure made it unlikely that anyone I liked would get elected, let alone run.

And they'd work to ensure "fairness" so that lazy, incompetent people got protected while the hardworking people felt they where up against a wall.

I'm sure within the T there's a sizable minority who are furious as they see the value in having everyone vaccinated and fully support the mandate.

With imposing unilateral changes to collective bargaining agreements. I suppose you think private companies should have the same power, too.

Do people still use that misogynistic term?

Who do you think ends up being tasked with enforcing a mask or vaccination requirement? Do you think MBTA employees have any interest in engaging with hostile members of the public who refuse to wear a mask or show proof of vaccination? There aren't enough cops to ride every single bus/train to enforce a policy like this.

I agree completely that they should have priority access to vaccines and they were given that access in Phase 2.

At this point, the T employees who haven't been vaccinated have presumably made a conscious decision to not get vaccinated. Those who have been vaccinated should generally be well-protected, and any T employee for whom vaccines are unlikely to be effective should probably have alternate work arrangements, particularly if they come into contact with the public. Are we saying these unvaccinated employees need to be protected from their own decisions? That generally runs afoul of ordinary medical practice for people who are mentally sound.

They did have priority access, back in March.

Transportation workers were part of "phase 2.4", before general access.

They're centrists.

Many union members across the country want better protections from Covid

The Union messaging here is stupid. “We want something in return!” but don’t articulate what that is. Instead they issue a vague statement that caters to the “muh freedumbs!” crowd.

If I were a union member, the things I would want in return is free high-quality PPE, additional, special sick/FMLA time where if I am required to take time off from work due to Covid it does not deplete my normal sick/FMLA time, protections against unruly riders who endanger me with their anti-mask tantrums and assaults…

I think few outside the oligarchy crowd would be upsets for unions using a mandate to negotiate common sense assistance for workers to fight Covid. Instead, we have failures of communication and articulation that give the appearance that unions are leveraging the community’s public health for frivolous contract concessions.

I'm a socialist, not a liberal. I'm in favor of government mandates for public health and safety, as well as laws and policies based on science, not religion or "but I'm special." I agree with you that liberals should stop allowing conspiracy theorists to turn into a class that oppresses children/elders/disabled folks.

Try googling the phrase, "The boy who cried wolf"

... if that "belief" includes refusing vaccinations. Get the shot or leave your job.