The NEPBA and Nolan | Perroni PC recently won an arbitration case involving an NEPBA Board Member and Local 500 president. The Middlesex Sheriff's Office had imposed discipline on the union president after he had a discussion with a supervisor involving the assignment of overtime. When the MSO supervisor questioned the union president, the president - standing strong for his members - replied that he did have a problem with the way that overtime was being distributed because that particular supervisor was "a liar, a thief, and took money from union member's pockets."
When the MSO disciplined the president for the comments, the Union took the case to arbitration and we secured a very favorable award. In essence, the Arbitrator ruled that the President's speech, while he was acting in his representational capacity, was protected. The arbitrator ruled that was no just cause for discipline because the president was raising a legitimate issue of concern to his members. The full explanation can be found in the attached decision.