Section 16 Employees rights - Massachusetts Statutes

[Text of section effective until Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School District is certified by the commissioner as the successor agency to the Essex agricultural and technical high school and the North Shore Vocational Regional School, which shall occur by July 1, 2009. Repealed by 2004, 463, Sec. 1. See 2004, 463, Sec. 18.]

Section 16. Employees of independent agricultural and technical schools shall suffer no impairment of employment rights held immediately prior to the designation of such institutions as an independent agricultural and technical school pursuant to this chapter. Such employees shall suffer no interruption of service; no impairment of seniority, retirement, civil service or other rights; no reduction in rate of compensation or salary grade; and no change in union representation. All employees shall continue their right to collectively bargain pursuant to chapter 150E and shall be considered public employees within the meaning of section 1 of said chapter 150E, subject to the definitions set forth therein.

The board of trustees shall serve as the public employer for purposes of said chapter 150E. Rights and obligations under collective bargaining agreements covering such employees that are in effect immediately prior to the designation of an institution as an independent agricultural and technical school shall be assumed by and imposed upon the board of trustees immediately upon such designation. Employees who are subject to such collective bargaining agreements shall continue to be represented by the employee organizations that are parties to such agreements until such times as those employees elect to alter such representation in accordance with said chapter 150E. This section shall not apply to employees of the Essex county agricultural school who, prior to the designation of such school as an independent agricultural and technical school, were employed exclusively in post-secondary educational programs.

The board of trustees shall be responsible for the negotiation of all necessary collective bargaining agreements; provided, however, that collective bargaining negotiations shall include representation from a chief municipal official, or his designee, from every municipality with students enrolled at the school.