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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 489 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2338
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
James K. Hawkins and Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to ensure pay parity for county sheriffs' correction officers and jail officers.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:James K. Hawkins2nd Bristol1/13/2023Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr.5th Worcester1/13/2023Hannah Kane11th Worcester1/27/2023Steven George Xiarhos5th Barnstable1/28/2023Brian W. Murray10th Worcester1/29/2023Angelo L. D'Emilia8th Plymouth1/30/2023Patricia A. Haddad5th Bristol2/3/2023Kimberly N. Ferguson1st Worcester2/6/2023Alyson M. Sullivan-Almeida7th Plymouth2/9/2023Alan Silvia7th Bristol2/10/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/13/2023Marcus S. Vaughn9th Norfolk2/14/2023Ryan C. FattmanWorcester and Hampden2/14/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 489 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2338
By Representatives Hawkins of Attleboro and Berthiaume of Spencer, a petition (accompanied
by bill, House, No. 2338) of James K. Hawkins, Donald R. Berthiaume, Jr. and others relative to
benefits for county sheriffs' correction officers and jail officers. Public Safety and Homeland
Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2474 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to ensure pay parity for county sheriffs' correction officers and jail officers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Part 1 ADMINISTRATION OF THE GOVERNMENT
2 Title VI COUNTIES AND COUNTY OFFICERS
3 SECTION 17. Chapter 37 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after
4existing text in Section 17 the following:
5 Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, The Correction Officers and
6Jail Officers working in the fourteen (14) County Sheriffs' Offices throughout the
7Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall re‐titled Correction Officer I, II and III or Jail Officer I,
8II, and III, and be paid base salaries according to the corresponding salary Grade in State 2 of 2
9Bargaining Unit 4 covering the Department of Correction job titles of Correction Officer I, II, or
10III. County Sheriffs’ Office, Correction Officers and Jail Officers shall be slotted into such Unit
114 titles according to where the core duties and responsibilities of such Correction Officers and
12Jail Officers within the County Sheriffs’ Offices most closely approximate the core duties and
13responsibilities of the corresponding Department of Correction CO I, II, and III titles. The
14foregoing compensation adjustment shall be structured so that the salary rates for Sheriffs' Office
15Correction Officer I, II, III and Jail Officer I, II, III equalize with the general Department of
16Corrections base salary rates in through equal annual increments over the three fiscal years after
17next following the passage of this legislation by the General Court and its enactment by the
18Governor. Upon the enactment of this legislation, County Sheriffs will not be required to bargain
19under G. L. Chapter 150E with public employee organizations representing County Sheriffs
20Correction Officers I, II and III or Jail Officers I, II and III over base salary rates for such
21Officers covering the three fiscal year period in which such Officers are receiving salary rates
22pursuant to this legislation, but shall otherwise remain obligated to comply with collective
23bargaining agreements, if any, covering such Officers and, in all other respects, except as
24otherwise provided herein, shall remain obligated to comply with their obligations under Chapter
25150E with respect to such Officers and the public employee labor organizations representing
26such Officers during such three fiscal year period. Following the three fiscal year period covered
27by this legislation, Chapter 150E shall once again fully apply to County Sheriffs as it relates to
28Correction Officers I, II, and III and Jail Officers I, II and III in all respects, including but not
29limited to the negotiation of base salary rates with public employee organizations representing
30them.