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Springfield State Rep. Peeved About Rail Company Jobs In Eastern Massachusetts

A Springfield lawmaker left a meeting with Chinese rail officials last week concerned that the headquarters of CRRC MA, where most of the high-salaried executives work, is in eastern Massachusetts and not Springfield — where the new Red Line and Orange Line MBTA cars are being assembled. 

"This is troubling to me," Rep. Angelo Puppolo wrote in a letter to CRRC's Boston consulting firm Preti Strategies.

The Springfield delegation met last Wednesday with CRRC officials.

Puppolo said he was "surprised" to learn that the rail car manufacturer maintains an office in Quincy and that a number of high-salaried executives work there. The Democrat said he had been "under the impression" that Springfield was the North American headquarters of CRRC.

The letter was sent to Kris Erickson of Preti Strategies. Erickson referred all questions to CRRC spokeswoman Lydia Rivera, who said the Quincy office was a requirement of the MBTA so that T engineers and CRRC can work together in a "co-location."

The eastern Massachusetts office has existed since CRRC MA was set up in 2014.

Puppolo has requested a breakdown of positions at CRRC's Springfield facility and Quincy offices, including job titles and descriptions, salaries and the residence location of everyone who works there.

"As I indicated, my main concern is maximizing jobs, jobs, jobs for people of Springfield, my district and western Massachusetts," Puppolo wrote. "We have a very talented workforce out here which are more than able to fill CRRC's needs - so I would like to know why CRRC is unable to fill these high level and supervisory positions from within the western Massachusetts employment market."

Rivera said "a little less than 100" work in Quincy, while 184 jobs are located in Springfield, including 122 production workers.

CRRC MA's website indicates the Quincy office is the "primary co-location for CRRC MA and MBTA engineering teams working collaboratively on the MBTA Orange and Red Line Car Project."

This report was originally published by State House News Service. 

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