November 14, 2017

On October 19, 2017  the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations found that there is “probable cause” that the BHE violated the law when it failed to authorize its representatives to make a financial offer to the APA and the MSCA during ongoing contract negotiations.

The MSCA began bargaining on January 31, 2017.  The day collective bargaining agreement expired on June 30, 2017.  The BHE did not put a financial offer on the table until September 14, 2017.

The APA’s collective bargaining agreement expired on December 31, 2016 and a financial offer was not made to them until September 2017 as well.

A formal hearing on the matter will be held between July 1, 2018 and September 30, 2018.

This is the first of two charges the MSCA has filed against the BHE.  The second charge, on regressive bargaining, will have an in person investigation on January 10, 2018.