Frequently Asked Questions

Why do State House staff need a union?

State House employees care deeply about their service to the residents of the Commonwealth and the legislators they serve. However, working at the State House is not financially, emotionally, or professionally sustainable for many of its staff. To better serve Massachusetts, it is vital that we create sustainable working conditions for current staff and those who will serve as State House employees in the years to come.

A union gives employees a permanent seat at the table when workplace decisions are being made in the future. Having a union will create a structure for staff input on matters including compensation and benefits, well-defined roles and responsibilities, career progression, training and professional development, time off policies and work schedule flexibilities, protection from discrimination and harassment, and more.

While we have seen efforts by the legislature to address some of these issues affecting staff – most recently through pay raises in the Senate – reliance on unpredictable improvements to compensation, benefits, and working conditions is not a sustainable way for staff to address their current needs and plan for their futures.

How does unionization work?

For public sector employees, unionization typically occurs when a substantial number of an organization’s employees indicate their interest in forming a union to protect and advance their workplace wellbeing. There are three ways a union can form:

(A) If at least 30% of employees indicate that they want to be represented by an employee organization (i.e., a union), the organization can petition the Division of Labor Relations to conduct an election. If a majority of employees vote in favor, the employer must recognize the union and engage in collective bargaining.

(B) If a majority of employees indicate that they want to be represented by an employee organization (i.e., a union), evidence can be submitted to the Division of Labor Relations, which will confirm that a majority has been reached.

(C) If a majority of employees indicate that they want to be represented by an employee organization (i.e., a union), the employer can voluntarily recognize the employee organization.

Following the confirmation of a union, union and employer representatives engage in collective bargaining to negotiate a contract that details the agreements between the employer and employees, with priorities shaped by the members of the union.

While the right to collective bargaining is not explicitly extended to legislative employees under Massachusetts law, we are also not explicitly excluded as other public employees are. Furthermore, the law has been repeatedly amended by the legislature to expand its scope in recognition of its shortcomings. You can read more about its evolution here.

Who would the union represent?

The Massachusetts State House Employee Union would represent all legislative staff employed by the House of Representatives, the Senate, or both. This would include everyone from legislative aides to researchers to staff directors, potentially excluding top deputies for House and Senate leadership who would meet with union representatives during the collective bargaining in order to avoid conflicts of interest.

What are union organizers fighting for?

The organizers are fighting for the rights and protections every employee deserves:

Compensation and benefits that are fair and comparable to market rates (such as salaries, annual cost-of-living adjustments, and transit subsidies)
Well-defined roles and responsibilities to avoid burnout and abuse
Opportunities for career progression, including a transparent process and criteria
Improved training and professional development for new and existing staff
Protection from discrimination and harassment, including through the hiring of a Title IX coordinator and an Equal Employment Opportunity officer

However, the priorities that would be formally negotiated in a contract with legislative leadership would be determined by union members following the formation of the union.

What is IBEW’s involvement in the union?

The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2222 represents thousands of workers in the greater Boston area. State House Employee Union organizers selected IBEW as its partner to support unionization efforts and the entity to represent the State House Employee Union upon unionization.

IBEW 2222 was selected, in part, because they do not have a significant number of bills before the legislature, as many labor organizations do. Furthermore, Oregon’s legislature recently unionized with IBEW, as did the Warren and Kennedy campaigns and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

Similarly to many unions, IBEW would receive 1% of a union members’ annual base pay and $22 per month per union member. However, dues will not be collected unless the first contract is ratified, and successful union negotiations would yield much larger increases in annual base pay than IBEW would collect.

What’s the status of unionization efforts?

Senate staff have been publicly organizing for a union since 2019. In March 2022, Senate staff reached a majority of card signers indicating their desire to form a union at the State House. On March 31, 2022, IBEW delivered a letter from the State House Employee Union and IBEW to the Office of the Senate President indicating that a majority of the proposed bargaining unit had signed authorization cards for IBEW Local 2222 to represent them. The letter requested recognition of the bargaining unit by the Senate President.

On July 28, 2022, Senate President Spilka notified Senate staff that “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.” The Senate President also communicated that Senate Counsel determined that, unlike the executive and judicial branches of the Massachusetts government, employees of the legislative branch did not appear to have the legal right to unionize under their reading of the Massachusetts General Laws.

In January 2023, organizers worked with Representative Patrick Kearney and Senator John Keenan to file S.2014/H.3069 – An Act relative to collective bargaining rights for legislative employees, which would change the law to allow legislative staff the right to unionize if we so choose. The legislation has since garnered support from the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor, the Auditor, a bipartisan group of 32 state legislators, 7 members of Congress, dozens of labor organizations including the AFL-CIO, and the Massachusetts Democratic Party.

In September 2023, 40 testifiers provided over three hours of testimony on the legislation during a public hearing held by the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight (SARO). As of the Joint Rule 10 deadline on February 7, 2024, the committee did not yield a decision on the legislation and instead chose to extend its review of the bill into the summer, close to the end of the 2023-24 session.

What has union organizing accomplished so far?

Union organizers have consistently applied pressure to legislative leadership, which has yielded tangible benefits for all State House staff:

In June 2022, just three months after we announced that the majority of Senate staff had signed union authorization cards, the Senate implemented a new compensation structure. The House followed suit with its own set of pay increases soon afterward.
In November 2022, after petitions from Senate staff organizers and meetings with the Office of the Senate President, the Senate implemented Professional Development Seminars for staff. Prior to this, available trainings for Senate staff were infrequent and inconsistent.
In July 2023, Senate staff received a 7.5% pay raise, just days after organizers held an event with Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.
In August 2023, after strong advocacy by organizers, the FY24 budget conference report included health insurance coverage within the first month of employment, a change from the decades-long policy of a three-month waiting period before staff are provided coverage.
In February 2024, Senate leadership announced potential further adjustments to compensation – despite challenging fiscal conditions – soon after organizers distributed a staff experience survey as well as hundreds of soda cans to protest the lack of Cost of Living Adjustments (COLAs).

While these wins are important, they do not guarantee future ones. To guarantee safe, secure, and sustainable employment conditions for State House staff, we need a union.

Is this happening in other legislatures?

Yes! Across the country, legislative staff are organizing and winning. In Oregon, staffers successfully negotiated their first contract, securing powerful measures for staff across their unit. In California, lawmakers passed legislation that would allow their staff to organize — a bill that closely parallels our own. In Congress, after President Biden, House Speaker Pelosi, and Senate President Schumer endorsed a union drive by Congressional staffers, the House voted to change their rules to allow offices to unionize. Since then, a number of Congressional offices have unionized. The message is clear: Legislative employee unions are not only possible, they’re popular.

Do I need to tell my boss that I’m interested in unionization?

You are not required to tell your boss, and legally, your boss is not allowed to ask you about your interest or involvement in unionization.

However, having your boss’ support for State House employees’ right to unionize is important to organizing efforts. Many legislators rely on unions for their own elections. Consider if and when you might discuss the topic with your boss. It is your choice whether to have that conversation and anticipate how they may react.

What if I’m afraid of retaliation for joining unionization efforts?

Retaliation on the basis of union organizing is illegal. If you believe you have been retaliated against due to your interest in supporting or decision to support unionization, please email Kevin Holland, the President of IBEW Local 222, at kevinholland@ibew2222.org. IBEW has resources to support you, including if necessary, legal resources.

I like my current working conditions. Why should I sign?

Union organizers are not seeking to change working conditions that are helping State House staff thrive and that would not be the intention of a union. Rather, we are focused on making sure that all State House employees consistently have working conditions which help them thrive, both now and in the future.

Signing a card is not just for you – it’s to support all your colleagues in the State House.

What happens when I sign a card?

When you sign a union authorization card, that information is confidentially stored by IBEW, who provides anonymous counts of card signers for House and Senate staff so organizers know how our organizing efforts are going and when we reach a majority in the House. Kevin Holland at IBEW will occasionally use the email you provided when signing a card to let you know when union organizing meetings are taking place or for other important union-related emails. No one else has access to the cards or email list.

Your decision to sign a card is your own and signed cards are legally confidential.

What can I do to support unionization efforts?

The most important step you can take is to sign a union authorization card! After that, talk to your colleagues about unionization and consider attending an organizing meeting to learn more. Meeting information is shared with card signers.

Please do not pressure anyone to sign a card or otherwise support unionization efforts, but instead encourage discussions about the benefits of unionization.

I have additional questions or concerns. Who should I contact?

As fellow House and Senate staff who serve alongside you, we welcome any questions or concerns you might have! You can email us at beaconhillunion@gmail.com or Kevin Holland, the President of IBEW Local 2222, at kevinholland@ibew2222.org.