SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2307        FILED ON: 11/19/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2125

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Sal N. DiDomenico

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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 relative to fair wages.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2307        FILED ON: 11/19/2015

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2125

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to fair wages.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 2 of chapter 151 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following new definitions:-

“Covered Commercial Services at Logan Airport” shall include the following services performed at Logan Airport: wheelchair assistance; cart driving; queue control; skycap services; ticket agent services; non-management dispatch duties and/or driving duties (driving vehicles on the ramp to transport cleaning personnel and/or baggage/cargo/mail to aircraft or terminals) by workers who primarily perform other Covered Commercial Services at Logan Airport;  airline club service janitorial/cleaning and bartending/serving;  baggage handling (‘jammer mechanics”, “carousel clearance”); baggage agent services; baggage screening; baggage delivery and runner services; aircraft cleaning and lavatory/water service; ramp agent services; warehouse agent services; cargo agent/handling services; mail service; escort;  janitorial; non-TSA security; and non-TSA screening.

“Covered Commercial Service Employee” shall mean any employee who performs any Covered Commercial Services at Logan Airport.

“Covered Commercial Service Employer” shall mean any person or entity that employs Covered Passenger or Cargo Handling Services workers to provide one or more Covered Commercial Service at Logan Airport.

SECTION 2. Said chapter 151 is hereby further amended by striking out section 1, as so appearing, as amended by sections 28 and 31 of chapter 144 of the acts of 2014, and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 1. It is hereby declared to be against public policy for any employer to employ any person in an occupation in this commonwealth at an oppressive and unreasonable wage as defined in section two, and any contract, agreement or understanding for or in relation to such employment shall be null and void. For a Covered Commercial Service Employer, a wage of less than $12.00 per hour shall conclusively be presumed to be oppressive and unreasonable, where the term “minimum wage'' is used in this chapter. A wage of less than $10.00 per hour, in any other occupation, as defined in this chapter, shall conclusively be presumed to be oppressive and unreasonable, where the term “minimum wage” is used in this chapter, unless the commissioner has expressly approved or shall expressly approve the establishment and payment of a lesser wage under the provisions of sections seven and nine. Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, in no case shall the minimum wage rate be less than $.50 higher than the effective federal minimum wage rate.

SECTION 3. Said section 1 of said chapter 151 is hereby further amended by striking out the figure “$12.00”, inserted by section 2, and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $13.50.

SECTION 4. Said section 1 of said chapter 151 is hereby further amended by striking out the figure “$13.50”, inserted by section 3, and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- $15.00.

SECTION 5. Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on January 1, 2016.

SECTION 6. Section 3 shall take effect on January 1, 2017.

SECTION 7. Section 4 shall take effect on January 1, 2018.