Due to an abundance of caution as it relates to COVID-19, the scheduled General Membership meeting for 5/11/21 has been cancelled.

Please post that our General Membership meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 3/9/21, has been cancelled due to precautions as a result of the pandemic.

1. STATUS QUO UNTIL APRIL 5, 2021

In the interest of the safety of court staff, court users and the public, trial court departments shall maintain the current level of court business and Departmental Standing Orders shall remain status quo until April 5, 2021. Managers shall staff court offices in teams with a cap of no more than 50% of staff working in a court department or office at any time. In the event a court department or office within a court department is not able to conduct the business described in the Departmental Standing Order while maintaining the 50% staffing cap the manager of the court department shall contact the Chief Justice of the Department, the Commissioner of Probation, the Director of Security or Director of Facilities, as applicable, who may waive the 50% cap, if the situation warrants.

• Court receives notification of a positive test of a staff person
• Manager completes detailed fact-finding form with the individual to identify close contacts
  • CDC definition of close contact > More than 15 minutes at less than 6 feet distance over a 24-hour period
  • Manager requests written permission to share name with other managers in the office to address any concerns
• Manager consults with HR to assess need to close a courthouse using CDC guidelines
• HR makes recommendation to Associate Court Administrator who seeks concurrence from Chief Justice and Court Administrator

Dear Sisters & Brothers

Yesterday, the Trial Court issued an updated 90-Day Operational Plan and an Overview of its process for handling court closures, cleaning buildings and contact tracing analysis when an employee tests positive for COVID-19. Local 6 has advocated for and supports the Trial Court’s decision to extend its reduced staffing model through April 5, 2021. Throughout the resurgence of COVID-19 cases over the past few months, we have worked closely with Trial Court leadership in an effort to keep our members on rotating schedules and working in limited capacities wherever possible. We will continue to monitor COVID-19 trends and make recommendations to the Trial Court to ensure that appropriate actions are taken to protect your health and safety while at work.

Updated FAQs on Staffing During COVID-19 Pandemic

Due to COVID-19, as well as Governor Baker’s order limiting the number of people at gatherings, we are cancelling the OPEIU Local 6 General Membership meeting that was scheduled for 1/12/2021.

Due to COVID-19, as well as Governor Baker’s order limiting the number of people at gatherings, we are cancelling the OPEIU Local 6 General Membership meeting that was scheduled for 11/10/2020.

Pursuant to COVID-19 Order Number 30, Governor Charles D. Baker has extended the prohibition of gatherings of more than ten people until May 18, 2020. Therefore, the OPEIU Local 6 General Membership Meeting scheduled for Tuesday, May 12, 2020 at 6:00 pm is cancelled.

Introduction

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trial Court has followed the recommendations issued by the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. These protocols and guidelines continue to evolve and change; as such, so will this document. In addition, the Trial Court has contracted with an Epidemiologist who specializes in infectious diseases to provide guidance and advice on issues not covered by the CDC or the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. We have consulted with our Epidemiologist throughout the development of this document.