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TRIAL COURT NEWS ARCHIVES

October 13, 2009
IMPORTANT! Massachusetts Public Employees Subject to New Ethics Law

September 15, 2009
Peabody District Court Officer Hurt in Courtroom Melee

August 28, 2009
NAGE Sends Additional Response to Lawyers Weekly Editorial

August 27, 2009
NAGE Responds to Lawyers Weekly Editorial

August 10, 2009
Governor Vetoes $6 Million for Trial Court from Supplemental Budget

July 30, 2009
Legislature Approves Supplemental Budget with $9.4 Million for Trial Court

July 28, 2009
NAGE Members, Legislative Team Support Group 4 at Hearing

July 14, 2009
Legislative Committee to Hear Group 4 Bill on July 27

July 14, 2009
New Seniority Lists

July 9, 2009
Call Your Legislators NOW to Urge Budget Veto Overrides

June 22, 2009
Compromise FY2010 Budget Includes House Language for Health Insurance

June 19, 2009
NAGE Meets with Trial Court to Re-Start Negotiations

June 4, 2009
NAGE Wins Hampden Superior “Front Counter” Case

June 2, 2009
Trial Court Revokes “Keough Letter” Per-Diem Policy

May 28, 2009
Senate Passes Budget Bill with 75/25 Split for Health Insurance; Budget Headed for Conference Committee

May 14, 2009
Public Service Committee Looks at Early Retirement Bill for State Employees

May 13, 2009
Thank You for Calling Reps on Health Insurance— Now It’s Time to Call Your Senators!

May 11, 2009
NAGE Urges DLR, Other Unions: “Don’t Use Fact-Finder Who Delayed Us for 9 Months”

May 8, 2009
SJC: No GPS Tracking Required for Pre-Trial Defendants

May 6, 2009
NAGE Files Appeal of DLR Dismissal

May 1, 2009
House Votes for 80/20 Health Insurance for Current Trial Court Employees

April 28, 2009
Trial Court Voluntary Retirement Incentive Program Detailed

April 27, 2009
DLR Dismisses NAGE Regressive Bargaining Complaint

April 21, 2009
ACO Seniority Lottery Results

April 16, 2009
Information on Return to Full-Time Hours After Voluntary Work Week Reduction

April 3, 2009
NAGE, Trial Court Reach Voluntary Cost-Savings Program

March 12, 2009
Secretary of Administration and Finance Makes Change to Mileage Reimbursement

March 12, 2009
NAGE Reaches Settlement with Trial Court Over Uniform Allowance Issue

February 12, 2009
Conway Joins Trial Court Representative Team

Voluntary Personnel-Cost-Savings Program Questions and Answers

April 10, 2009

Since the Trial Court and NAGE announced the voluntary personnel-cost-savings program, we have received several calls from members with questions about the program. Here are answers to two of the questions we have received most frequently:

If you choose to participate in the voluntary reduction in work week incentive or the voluntary extended leave of absence incentive, your seniority will not be affected. Participation in either incentive will not change your seniority in any fashion.
If you choose to participate in the voluntary layoff incentive, you will be recalled before any member who may be subsequently laid off involuntarily. The recall of members who participated in the voluntary layoff incentive would be conducted according to seniority.

Please contact David Bernard, Massachusetts director of public safety, at 617-376-7250 if you have any questions.

NAGE, Trial Court Reach Voluntary Cost-Savings Program

April 3, 2009

NAGE and the Trial Court have reached an agreement on a VOLUNTARY cost-savings program, a program now listed on the Trial Court’s website. Please understand that participation in this program is STRICTLY VOLUNTARY. NAGE Trial Court members may choose to participate in voluntary layoffs, leaves of absence, or modified work schedules, but the program is VOLUNTARY ONLY.

View the Trial Court’s description of the voluntary cost-savings program.

If you have any questions, please contact the Member Action Center at 617-376-7227 or contact your local steward.

Secretary of Administration and Finance Makes Change to Mileage Reimbursment

March 12, 2009

Effective Monday, March 2, 2009, the Secretary of Administration and Finance, in accordance with MGL Chapter 30, has reduced the mileage reimbursement rate from 45 cents per-mile to 40 cents per-mile. This change is also in accordance with Section 12.03 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Please be aware that any mileage submitted for reimbursement prior to March 2, 2009 should be paid at a rate of 45 cents per-mile. Any mileage submitted after March 2 will be paid at a rate of 40 cents per-mile.

If you have any issues regarding the rate at which your mileage is reimbursed, please contact your national representative or executive board.

NAGE Reaches Settlement with Trial Court Over Uniform Allowance Issue

March 12, 2009

NAGE recently filed a class action grievance following the Trial Court’s failure to pay all COs and ACOs their $300 clothing allowance. As a result of this grievance, the union has agreed to a settlement with the Trial Court.

As a result of this settlement agreement, all officers who did not receive their uniform allowance will receive their monies as soon as possible, which we anticipate to be around two (2) pay-periods.

Secondly, the union continues to address a number of outstanding uniform issues during current contract negotiation sessions. NAGE is currently focusing on issues with employees on workmen’s compensation and authorized leaves as well as the Trial Court’s uniform replacement policy.

Conway Joins Trial Court Representative Team

February 12, 2009

NAGE National Representative Brian Conway has joined the team of representatives serving NAGE Trial Court members.

Conway, currently a rep in the NAGE Member Action Center, will serve members in the Barnstable County, Bristol County and Plymouth County courts. In the coming weeks, he and NAGE National Representative Larry Cargill will visit courts in those areas to meet members.

“I know that Brian will bring a high degree of professionalism and integrity to his work with the Trial Court,” said David Bernard, NAGE’s Massachusetts Director of Public Safety. “I’m sure that our Trial Court members in Barnstable, Bristol and Plymouth counties will find him a welcome addition to the team.”

You can reach Brian at NAGE at 617-376-0220, by email at bconway@nage.org, by fax at 617-376-7278, or by cell phone at 617-417-6413.

ULP Update

February 12, 2009

On Thursday, February 12, 2009, there was an in-person investigation conference on the subject of the ULP charge we filed against the Trial Court over regressive bargaining. The parties briefly stated their positions. By March 12, the investigator will make a determination. Her options are:

determine that there is probable cause that there was a violation of the law and send the case to a formal hearing;

direct the parties to attempt mediation;

determine that there is no probable cause that the law had been violated and dismiss the charge.

NAGE will keep you updated on the latest developments in our ULP as they occur.

Dear Trial Court Management: Have You Bothered to Read the Contract?

December 23, 2008

The Trial Court appears to have mis-catalogued its contract with NAGE and placed it in the banned-reading section with Lolita.

What else explains the outrageous letter NAGE received stating that Chief Justice Mulligan would be dropping the mileage reimbursement rate from 45 cents to a jaw-dropping 30 cents effective January 5th? If Trial Court management had read the contract, they would have noticed that Article XII, Section 12.03 (C) states that the mileage reimbursement can change only with enactment of a new law by the General Court—not on the mere whim of the chief justice.

They would have also noted that the contract raised the mileage rate from 28 cents in June 2005 to 38 cents in July 2005 to 40 cents in November 2005.

Now the chief justice wants to drop it to 30 cents? (Which, by the way, is 25 cents below the 2009 IRS mileage reimbursement rate of 55 cents.) It's insulting and makes no sense.

As you will see below in NAGE's response to Justice Mulligan, NAGE is fully prepared to grieve the matter should Justice Mulligan proceed with his plan.

Read the letter to NAGE from the Trial Court

Read NAGE's response to the letter

Fact-Finding Update

December 16, 2008

As of the date of the attached memo, the fact-finder has not issued his report regarding our contract.

Read the complete update (pdf)

Trial Court Members in Delta Dental PPO Have New Option in 2009

December 10, 2008

NAGE Trial Court members who are now enrolled n the Delta Dental PPO plan will be eligible as of January 1, 2009 to utilize the Delta Dental Premier Network of dentists. Trial Court members who are already enrolled in the Delta Dental PPO Plus Premier Plan will not be affected by this change because PPO Plus Premier Plan members already have access to that network.

For details on the change, you can download this memo.

Trial Court Withdraws Economic Offer; NAGE Will File ULP Charge with Division of Labor

October 9, 2008

On October 6, NAGE Chief Negotiator Richard Anderson received a letter from Paul Edgar, the human resources director of the Trial Court, withdrawing the Trial Court’s entire economic portion of its offer. Edgar cited the Commonwealth’s “deteriorating economic condition” as the reason.

Anderson immediately notified Edgar in writing that NAGE will file an unfair labor practice charge against the Trial Court with the Massachusetts Division of Labor Relations for regressive bargaining. Anderson also urged the fact-finder to disregard the Trial Court’s action as he prepares his recommendations because evidence may not be submitted after the close of hearings in the matter (in this case, the hearings finished on July 11, 2008).

We are appalled at Trial Court managers’ attempt to violate the law and at their callous disregard for the effect of their actions on you and your family. After fifteen months without a contract and nearly two years of difficult bargaining, you and your family certainly deserve the security of a fair contract without this latest obstacle. Please rest assured that NAGE and your executive boards will pursue every legal avenue open to us to ensure that you are treated fairly.

The union and the Trial Court will be meeting Thursday Oct 16th at 10 a.m. to discuss the contract. We will continue to keep you updated as the process evolves.