Recent Developments

An independent arbitrator agreed that Angelica Textile Services wrongly terminated an employee for allegedly walking off the job. Attorney James Hykel advocated for UFCW Local 1445 at the arbitration hearing, establishing that the employer's witnesses were not credible.

Attorney James Hykel successfully defended a victory at the Civil Service Commission from a Superior Court challenge by the Boston Police Department. Here, the BPD rejected a candidate, claiming that he was not psychologically fit to be a police officer based upon second and third-hand accounts provided to the Department. This is one of many decisions
that have overturned Department claims about alleged psychological unfitness of candidates.

Starting July 1, many workers in Massachusetts are entitled to receive and use paid leave for personal or family sickness. Employees covered by the law earn 1 hour of sick leave for every 30 hours of work, up to 40 hours per year. Employees then can use sick leave, at least one hour at a time, to care for themselves or an immediate family member, to attend a medical appointment or to address consequences of domestic violence.

Medical Resources employees become the first private home care agency employees to form a union in Massachusetts as part of the growing Fight for $15 movement. Attorneys David Rome, Patrick Bryant, and Ian Russell provided advice during the organizing and election campaigns.

ALERT TO ALL PUBLIC-SECTOR UNIONS:

Attorney Jillian Ryan successfully affirmed a Department of Labor Relations ruling that the Medford Fire Chief unlawfully retaliated and intimidated IAFF Local 1032. This case arose because the Fire Chief was perturbed that the Union President went over his head to complain about the Chief's policies to City Hall.

Attorney Jillian Ryan persuaded a hearing officer of the Department of Labor Relations that the City of Boston unlawfully removed bargaining unit work from Salaried Employees of North America (SENA) and gave it away to a non-union worker. SENA is Local 9158 of the United Steelworkers.

Last night, Franklin Town Council voted 8-1 to fund a new collective bargaining agreement for Franklin Fire Fighters, Local 2637, IAFF. Attorney Leah Barrault is attorney for Local 2637 and persuaded a three-member arbitration panel to unanimously award a new contract that the panel unanimously found the Town could afford. Barrault and Attorney Patrick Bryant coordinated a legal campaign to ensure that the Town complied with its obligations to support the award.

Pyle Rome Attorneys Leah Barrault and Patrick Bryant have filed an unfair labor practice on behalf of Franklin Fire Fighters, Local 2637 IAFF, alleging that Town Administrator is coordinating a campaign to defeat a unanimous arbitration award from a neutral panel. The Town Administrator has a duty to unconditionally support funding the Award. The campaign is believed to involve lobbying of individual Council members, prohibiting individual Councillors from meeting with the Union, and private Council deliberations outside of the public eye.

Attorney James Hykel convinced a neutral arbitrator to reinstate a per diem, or part-time nurse represented by Vermont Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals, Local 5221, AFT. Attorney David Rome provided advice throughout the grievance process.

Here, the University of Vermont Medical Center (VMC) terminated the Grievant, an eight-year employee, because he failed to work the minimum number of hours required to maintain per diem employment.