Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka rejects her staffers’ unionization push,

On Jul 28, 2022

Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka quashed staffers’ months-long unionization push on Thursday, with just three days remaining in the legislative session.

The blow to Senate staffers, who urged the Ashland Democrat to give them a seat at the collective bargaining table, comes two weeks after Spilka told reporters that Senate Counsel was still reviewing the matter.

Spilka, in a memo to senators and staff, thanked Senate Counsel for a “comprehensive” and “exhaustive” review, which likely included whether Senate employees are able to unionize under murky existing state statute.

“With the information they have provided to Senators today, the Senate does not at this time see a path forward for a traditional employer-union relationship in the Senate as we are currently structured,” Spilka wrote in the memo obtained by MassLive. “I remain committed to making the Senate a great place to serve the people of the Commonwealth while building a career. We will continue our efforts to improve working conditions, benefits, and salaries, and we will incorporate staff input as we have done throughout my tenure.”

A spokeswoman for Spilka did not immediately respond to a MassLive request for comment Thursday evening. Senate Majority Leader Cindy Creem declined to comment outside the Senate chamber, telling reporters she had to go.

Spilka’s office recently announced at least 10% one-time pay adjustments for Senate staffers, some of whom told MassLive they were not given the opportunity to provide feedback ahead of time — or ask live questions during a staff webinar unveiling the revamped salary scale. Staffers also told MassLive they lacked clarity on how their new salaries were calculated, exacerbating a familiar lament that led them to start their unionization effort.

The salary changes sought to rectify a spate of compensation problems detailed in a November 2021 report from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Senate Counsel will meet with staff on Friday at the State House, Spilka said.

“Any staff interested in learning more should plan to attend this in-person meeting,” Spilka said in her memo.

Beyond pay, Senate employees saw a future labor union as a powerful tool to combat systemic issues on Beacon Hill, including high staff turnover and a lack of sexual harassment protections. The Massachusetts State House Employee Union officially launched its collective bargaining push at the end of March, as IBEW Local 2222 representatives delivered a letter to Spilka.

When the unionization push reached its 100-day milestone earlier this month, organizers sent a letter to Spilka and demanded a response “so that the voices of the majority of Senate staffers are heard and acknowledged.”

“We continue to be encouraged by your strong pro-labor background as a labor attorney, state legislator, and champion of increased protections for employees in the Commonwealth and call on you to seize this historic moment and make history as the Senate President presiding over one of the first legislative staff unions in the United States,” the letter had stated.