print this page

On April 12, 2004 the Steelworkers filed a "Representation Petition" with the Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission (MLRC) on behalf of 190 mid-management and supervisory employees of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority (Masspike).

CURRENT STATUS:
The Steelworkers petitioned for 190 non-union employees of the Masspike.  Masspike management claims that approximately 120 these employees are exempt from collective bargaining rights.

THE TWIST: 
Every public sector petition before the MLRC requires lengthy hearings to determine what titles and positions have collective bargaining rights in accordance to Massachusetts General Laws 150E & 150A.  However, the twist here is that Masspike management claims that the MLRC does not have jurisdiction and will file legal briefs defining these employees as managers and supervisors as defined by the NLRB.  The Masspike legal staff of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority has declared their agency as "a business" and that these employees do not have collective bargaining rights.

This legal challenge of private vs. public sector management definitions is an anti- union stall tactic.  It is the opinion of the Steelworkers' attorneys assigned to this campaign that this tactic to define public sector employees,  as private sector, will not prevail. 

The goal of Masspike management's is to stall the union election for as long as the legal system will allow with the hope that the employees will become frustrated and their interest and desire to organize will die out with time.

This will not happen, these employees are committed to organizing their workplace and winning the right to collective bargaining rights to secure their future and improve their wages, benefits and working conditions. 

The Steelworkers have pledged to defend the right to organize as long as it takes.  We know that at the end of this struggle these employees will join the thousands of public sector employees represented by the Steelworkers.

(We expect an election date to be scheduled sometime between December and January of '05).

DISTRICT 4 wins accretion of 13 titles into LU5696.
As a result of the ongoing organizing campaign to represent 190 mid-management/supervisory employees of Masspike, the union discovered that several non-union titles belonged in the existing Masspike Local 5696.  As a result of several discussions between the union and management the union successfully negotiated to immediately accrete these titles in LU5696. 

We welcome our new brothers and sisters of LU 5696.