Attorney Ian Russel Wins Unanimous SJC Ruling Protecting Public Sector Unions’ Right to Bargain Over Health Insurance Benefits

Attorney Ian Russell, representing the Athol Firefighters Union, won an important case at the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court related to a municipality’s obligation to bargain over health insurance benefits and the standard for confirming labor arbitration awards.

In its unanimous ruling in the case of Town of Athol v. Professional Firefighters of Athol, Local 1751, I.A.F.F., the Court confirmed that municipalities cannot require that labor unions accept the same HMO benefits as other town employees and that labor unions may, under most health insurance plans, bargain for additional benefits. The Court also recognized that a party cannot vacate an arbitration award on the basis that it violates a particular statute when it has failed to establish during the arbitration hearing that the statute applies.