By Representative Doherty of Taunton, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2093) of Carol A. Doherty and others relative to allowing legislative employees to unionize. Labor and Workforce Development.
By Representative Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2097) of Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Lydia Edwards relative to collective bargaining rights. Labor and Workforce Development.
By Representatives Connolly of Cambridge and Uyterhoeven of Somerville, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2078) of Mike Connolly, Erika Uyterhoeven and others relative to securing the right to strike for certain public employees. Labor and Workforce Development.
This bill (H 4681) modernizes Massachusetts labor law to expand workers' organizing rights. It directly affects employees in state-contracted services (like healthcare, social services, and nonprofits) by redefining "employee" to include these workers (excluding agricultural/domestic workers) and clarifying that multiple employers sharing control over workers are "joint employers." Key provisions include allowing electronic signatures for union authorization cards, ensuring state labor law applies if federal law doesn't cover certain workers, and removing barriers to collective bargaining for workers not protected by federal law. The bill aims to strengthen labor-management relations by making it easier for workers to form unions and negotiate.
By Mr. Keenan, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1343) of John F. Keenan, Michael O. Moore, David F. DeCoste, Rebecca L. Rausch and other members of the General Court for legislation to provide collective bargaining rights for legislative employees. Labor and Workforce Development.
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2086) of Marjorie C. Decker and others relative to labor organizing rights. Labor and Workforce Development.
By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 1290) of Nick Collins for legislation relative to collective bargaining right. Labor and Workforce Development.
This bill clarifies that constitutional officers (such as the Governor, Attorney General, and Secretary of State) are the direct employers for collective bargaining purposes for employees under their jurisdiction. It directly affects state employees working for these elected officials' offices by designating the officers themselves - not other state entities - as the bargaining employers. The key provision resolves ambiguity about employer status, requiring unions to negotiate directly with the constitutional officer's office rather than a broader state agency. This change streamlines collective bargaining processes for these specific state employees.
