The plight of MBTA contract janitors is just another example of the false notion that private companies can do a better job, for less money, than government at providing critical services. The reality is that you can reduce the cost of any service if you don’t care about what happens to the workers and the effect the reduction would have on all of us.

Private companies are in the business of making money. Anyone with any service business experience knows that if you want to reduce costs, you reduce your labor costs, which means paying workers less, providing fewer benefits, slashing hours, laying people off, some of the above, or all of the above. The results are poorer service, worsening working conditions, job insecurity, more people in need of government support, and, in this case, dirtier, poorly maintained T stations. The only ones who come out ahead are the company owners.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s rebuttal to the janitors’ situation is that the agency can only enforce the contract and can’t control staffing cuts or benefit reductions with a private vendor. Really. MBTA management knows full well how companies cut costs, and if the T so desired, the contracts could have included worker protections.

I am appalled, but not surprised, that once again, the people doing the dirtiest work and making the lowest wages will suffer from our constant drive to cut costs. Making it more difficult for hard-working people to earn a living wage is not cost effective, not good business practice, and, as people who care about our fellow residents, not the right thing to do. The MBTA should do the right thing and address this problem quickly.

Ken Donnelly

State senator

Democrat of Arlington