SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1618        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1689

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Julian Cyr

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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, Sheriffs’ Correction Officers, Jail and Lockup Officers.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1618        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1689

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act to ensure pay parity for County Sheriffs, Sheriffs’ Correction Officers, Jail and Lockup Officers.

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

Chapter 37 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended Laws is hereby amended by striking out section 17, and inserting in place thereof the following section:

Section 17. The salaries of sheriffs shall be paid by their respective counties and shall, except as hereinafter provided, be in full compensation for all services rendered both as sheriff and as superintendent or keeper of the jail or house of correction or lockup. If a sheriff elects to act, or his deputy acts, as superintendent or keeper of the jail or house of correction or lockup, and resides thereat, he shall be entitled to rent, heat and light, and such subsistence as he may desire out of the regular subsistence rations purchased for prisoners, together with such other maintenance as may be determined from time to time by the county personnel board.

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the sheriffs of the counties of Barnstable, Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, Dukes, and Nantucket and of the former counties of Berkshire, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Hampshire, Middlesex and Worcester shall each receive a salary of $151,709. Any subsequent salary increases shall be equal for all county sheriffs.  This provision shall apply to the salary calculated as a percentage of any other official, such cost of living increase determined for all county sheriffs from time to time.

Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Correction Officers,  Jail Officers and Lockup Officers working in the fourteen (14) County Sheriffs' Offices throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts shall be re‐titled Correction Officer I, II and III, Jail Officer I, II, and III, Lockup Officer I, II and III, respectively and be paid base salaries according to the corresponding salary Grade in State Bargaining Unit 4 covering the Department of Correction job titles of Correction Officer I, II, or III. County Sheriffs’ Office, Correction Officers, Jail Officers and Lockup Officers shall be slotted into such Unit 4 titles according to where the core duties and responsibilities of such Correction Officers, Jail Officers and Lockup Officers within the County Sheriffs’ Offices most closely approximate the core duties and responsibilities of the corresponding Department of Correction CO I, II, and III titles. The foregoing compensation adjustment shall be structured so that the salary rates for Sheriffs' Office Correction Officer I, II, III, Jail Officer I, II, III and Lockup Officer I, II III equalize with the general Department of Corrections base salary rates in through equal annual increments over the three fiscal years after next following the passage of this legislation by the General Court and its endorsement by the Governor. Upon the enactment of this legislation, County Sheriffs will not be required to bargain under G. L. Chapter 150E with public employee organizations representing County Sheriffs Correction Officers I, II and III, Jail Officers I, II and III and Lockup Officers I, II, III over base salary rates for such Officers covering the three fiscal year period in which such Officers are receiving salary rates pursuant to this legislation, but shall otherwise remain obligated to comply with collective bargaining agreements, if any, covering such Officers and, in all other respects, except as otherwise provided herein, shall remain obligated to comply with their obligations under Chapter 150E with respect to such Officers and the public employee labor organizations representing such Officers during such three fiscal year period. Following the three fiscal year period covered by this legislation, Chapter 150E shall once again fully apply to County Sheriffs as it relates to Correction Officers I, II, and III, Jail Officers I, II and III and Lockup Officers I, II, III in all respects, including but not limited to the negotiation of base salary rates with public employee organizations representing them.