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Friday, March 29, 2024

Federal judge upholds Massachusetts earned sick time law

Maura healey

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey said she was pleased that a U.S. District judge upheld the state's Earned Sick Time law on Monday. | Massachusetts Attorney General

BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A U.S. District judge upheld Massachusetts' Earned Sick Time Law on Monday, said the state's attorney general Maura Healey.

Judge Rya Zobel's decision said the law doesn't preempt the federal labor law. Healey said in statement released the same day as Zobel's decision that she was pleased with the ruling, and she would continue to defend the law, which was approved by voters.

“This ruling makes clear that thousands of workers in Massachusetts who help to build our roads, bridges, and schools are among those who can now earn and use sick time to care for themselves and their families,” Healey said.

“This is a great victory for those workers, other unionized employees across the state, and everyone who has sought to make this a right for Massachusetts’s working families.”

A group of contractor associations filed the lawsuit arguing that Section 301 of the Federal Labor Management Relations Act preempts Massachusetts' law, and that the law shouldn't apply to workers who are part of unions and covered by collective bargaining agreements.

Several government agencies and private organizations filed statements of support for the law including the United States Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Justice, Communities for Social Justice also known as Raise Up Massachusetts, the Massachusetts chapter of the AFL-CIO, SEIU State Council and the SEIU 32BJ.

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