Quinn Bill Eligibility of Rehired or Transferred Police Officers

January 12th, 2012 by Joesph Sandulli

Once a police officer qualifies for Quinn Bill benefits, the benefits cannot be terminated if the officer is rehired or transferred after the Quinn Bill cut-off date of July 1, 2009.

Under the recent Quinn Bill amendments police officers hired…


Massachusetts Public Employee Benefit Changes Under Pension Reform

January 1st, 2012 by Amy Laura Davidson

On November 18, 2011 Governor Deval Patrick signed Chapter 176 of the Acts of 2011, “An Act Providing for Pension Reform and Benefit Modernization.” This is the third pension reform measure passed in the last three years, and significantly changes…


NLRB Withdraws Lawsuit Against Boeing

December 19th, 2011 by Jun Lim

The National Labor Relations Board (“NLRB”; “the Board”) dropped its retaliation lawsuit against Boeing at the urging of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (“Machinists”) after it signed a contract with Boeing on Dec. 9, 2011.  The NLRB…


What is the Heart Bill?

December 12th, 2011 by Jennifer Rubin

The Heart Law presumption, commonly called the “Heart Bill” presumes that a police officer’s heart ailment is work-related for purposes of accidental disability retirement, unless there is sufficient evidence to rebut it.  In other words, if you have a heart…


Civil Service Knocks Out Quincy Mayor’s Choice for Fire Chief and a Judge Agrees

December 1st, 2011 by Alan Shapiro
Based on many recent Civil Service decisions and, even more poignantly, the courts' reaction to those decisions, many of us concluded that challenging a bypass promotional case was about as promising as hitting a trifecta at your local race track. [1] That perception, however, may no longer be accurate. A 60 page decision by Commissioner Paul Stein in September...

Evergreen “Fix” Signed into Law

November 23rd, 2011 by Amy Laura Davidson

On November 22nd, Governor Patrick signed the Evergreen “Fix” bill into law.  The bill was passed as an emergency act so it immediately goes into effect.  Accordingly, municipal employers are bound to the terms of collective bargaining agreements with an…


“Evergreen” Problem Fixed by Legislature

November 18th, 2011 by Amy Laura Davidson

Last fall, the state Supreme Judicial Court overturned 30 years of history and held that “evergreen clauses” – clauses that extend collective bargaining agreements until a new contract is negotiated – were unlawful and unenforceable if the clause operated to…


I’m shocked, SHOCKED, to learn that the Globe doesn’t like the Quinn Bill

November 18th, 2011 by Bryan Decker

OK, just when you thought it was okay to put aside the Quinn bill case until the SJC issues a ruling, our “friends” over on Morrissey Boulevard decide they need to chime in on the case – by writing an…