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Supporters and municipal officials clash over restoring right to strike for some public employees
Summary
The Joint Committee heard dueling testimony on bills (H.2078 / S.1311) to restore most public-sector employees' right to strike after a six-month bargaining period; labor and educators pushed for the change while the Massachusetts Municipal Association opposed it, citing legal and fiscal risks to cities and towns.
Union leaders, teachers and public employees urged the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development to restore a right to strike for many public-sector workers, while municipal officials warned of disruption to essential services.
Representative who spoke in support described H.2078 / S.1311 as restoring the ability to withhold labor as a last resort after six months of good-faith bargaining. “This bill is really about allowing for good faith collective bargaining between labor and management,” Representative Madre Decker said, recounting her personal family history in unions and noting that a six-month negotiating period “is plenty of time for parties to bargain for a three-year contract.”
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