Canton, Massachusetts · Saved source text
Police Officers Association (PDF)
Saved text from 53 source pages. Transcription and OCR may contain errors; verify figures and wording against the original. Retrieved 2026-10-15.
Source page 41
SECTION 4. UNAUTHORIZED LEAVE
If an employee's absence is not excused or approved, one or more of the following actions may be taken
depending on the circumstances in the case:
a. A deduction may be made from accumulated vacation leave credits.
The employee's pay may be stopped for the period of the absence, and a letter of
b.
warning sent.
c. The employee may be suspended.
d. The employee may be discharged.
Paragraphs c. and d. shall be subject, however, to the provisions of MGLA, Chapter 31.
SECTION 5. LEAVES OF ABSENCE
A leave of absence without pay for a period not exceeding three (3) months may be granted by the
A.
Chief with a written notice to the Employer.
In the event that leaves of absence without pay are to be renewed or extended beyond said three
B.
(3) month period, the Chief will discuss the extension with the Employer and obtain
approval before such leave is granted.
If during a leave of absence without pay the employee accepts other employment, such
C.
leave of absence and his employment with the Town are automatically terminated unless
the Employer shall have expressly waived this provision in writing, in which case a copy shall be
forwarded to the Chief and the employee involved.
SECTION 6. MATERNITY LEAVE
Maternity leave shall be granted in accordance with the provisions of G.L. c. 149, § 105D.
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ARTICLE XXII
Nondiscrimination
The employer and employees agree not to discriminate against any employee because of his/her sex, race,
age, handicap or affiliation with the Association.
ARTICLE XXIII
Disciplinary Action
No employee shall be disciplined except for just cause. The starting work time of an employee
shall not be changed merely for disciplinary reasons unless agreed to by the Association.
If a matter is covered by Civil Service, an individual must make an election in writing within five
(5) days of the date of the incident whether he elects the grievance procedure or civil service procedure.
The election of one procedure shall be a waiver of the alternate procedure.
ARTICLE XXIV
Grievance Procedure
The purpose of the Grievance Procedure shall be to settle employee grievances on as low a level
A. Purpose:
as possible so as to insure efficiency and employee morale.
For purposes of this Article, a grievance shall be defined as a dispute alleging a specific
B. Definition:
and direct violation of express language of a specific provision of this Agreement, or employee complaints
with respect to their health and safety.
A grievance must be presented initially within twenty (20) days of the occurrence of an
C. Procedure:
event or circumstances which gave rise to the grievance.
If an employee has a grievance he shall first consult the Chief of Police or his
D. Informal Procedure:
designee, and an earnest effort shall be made to adjust the grievance in an informal manner.
Step 1: If the grievance is not settled informally, the employee and/or the Association must present the
grievance in writing to the Chief within five (5) days after the initial meeting with the Chief The
Chief will respond in writing within ten (10) days.
25Source page 43
Step 2: If the grievance is not adjusted at Step 1, the employee may next appeal the decision to the Board
of Selectmen within seven (7) calendar days following notice to the employee of the decision reached at
Step 1. The Selectmen shall meet with the employee normally within twenty-one (21) days from the time
the appeal is received, and the Board will within fourteen (14) days after the meeting render their decision
in writing to the employee.
Step 3: If the grievance is not adjusted at Step 2, then within fourteen (14) days of the decision at Step 2
the Association may submit the grievance to final and binding arbitration pursuant to the rules of the
American Arbitration Association (AAA) or the Massachusetts Board of Conciliation and Arbitration
(BCA) and the provisions of General Laws, Chapter 150C. The AAA will be used unless both parties
awe to use the BCA. The decision of the Arbitrator shall be final and binding upon the parties except
that the Arbitrator shall have no power and shall not make a decision which:
a) alters, amends, modifies, adds to or detracts from the language of this Agreement; or
b) recommends a right of relief for any period of time prior to the effective date of this
Agreement.
Disposition of any grievance at all steps not appealed within the specified time limit shall be considered
final. Failure of the Town to give timely notice of the disposition of any grievance or appeal shall
be deemed a denial thereof.
E. Upon winning a grievance where a monetary sum is lost, the aggrieved employee will be compensated
for the full amount awarded by the Arbitrator within two (2) weeks of the decision.
ARTICLE XXV
No Strike Clause
The Association and its members agree that during the duration of this contract they shall not
engage in any activities that would affect the Public Safety; specifically, they shall not engage in any strike,
picketing, work slow down, or stoppages of work.
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ARTICLE XXVI.
Position In Jeopardy
An employee with allegations pending against him that could cause disciplinary action to be taken or
the loss of his position shall have the right to have a bargaining unit member present as an
advocate at the disciplinary hearing before the Chief. The allegations shall be made known to the
employee before the start of said disciplinary hearing.
ARTICLE XXVII
Duties Of Employees - First Aid Supplies
Officers on cruiser patrol shall be responsible at the beginning of each work shift for checking first aid
A.
supplies in the cruiser assigned. In addition, they shall be required to file requisitions with the Officer on
desk duty for any supplies that are exhausted.
The Town will make every effort to supply cruisers with a blanket, ambu bag, standard first-aid kit, life
B.
preserver with rope, collapsible shovel, fiairs, and fire extinguishers. Supplies shall be kept in a secured
covered container in the trunk of the cruiser. It is agreed that the provisions of this Section are not subject
to the grievance procedure of this Agreement.
ARTICLE XXVIII
Uniforms and Equipment
The Employer shall supply the employees with clubs, handcuffs, holsters, hat badges, coat badges, gun
A.
belt, gun and cartridge holder, patches and chevrons.
B. The Employer will endeavor to provide the employees with a locker.
The Employer will equip each employee with one rain coat, one rain hat, and rubber foot gear. All
C.
uniforms and equipment issued to employees shall remain the property of the Employer and all employees
shall keep the same in good condition and repair.
Effective July 1, 2008, employees shall be entitled to a maximum amount of $800 per fiscal year
D.
toward the cost of replacement and maintenance of uniforms. At the end of each fiscal year the amount of
money from each Officer's clothing allowance not used for purchasing uniforms may, at his discretion, be
reimbursed to the Officer for cleaning bills accumulated by him during the year, provided that he can
27Source page 45
show to the Chiefs satisfaction that he has a full set of uniforms in good condition and provided that he
produces receipts for the cleaning work done. An employee
may use part of his uniform allowance toward the purchase of a radio case if he so desires. The employee
shall inform the Chief of Police that he desires to use a portion of his allotment and the Chief shall
issue a slip allowing the employee to charge his purchase to a proper vendor, said vendor to be paid by the
Employer the amount charged after the Employer has received a receipt indicating a completion of the
service. Should an employee not use the full uniform allowance, the unused amount will be carried over to
the next, fiscal year. The Chief will post conspicuously any unused allowance every three (3) months.
E. A newly-appointed employee shall be reimbursed in accordance with the provisions of this Article a
minimum of $1,250 but up to a maximum of $1,500 at the Chiefs discretion toward the purchase of all
necessary items of uniform and equipment (excluding items referred to in Sections A, B and C of this
Article). Said new employees shall not be entitled to a replacement and maintenance allowance for the first
year of their employment.
F. Employees may use up to $150 of their clothing allowance for civilian attire as required for court
appearances. Detectives may also use a portion of their clothing allowance for civilian attire. The same
procedures used for the purchase of uniforms will apply to the purchase of civilian attire.
G. The Town will change the patch on the uniforms of Special officers and Reserve officers, but Civil
Service permanent intennittents will continue to wear the official patch of the Canton Police Department.
ARTICLE XXIX
Reimbursed Travel Expense
If the employee is required to travel to police training activities outside the Town of Canton and
drives a car, he shall be reimbursed at the IRS standard as approved each year by Town Meeting for all
miles traveled. Miles shall be computed from the point of departure which shall be, for the purpose of this
Agreement, the Canton Town Hall.
28Source page 46
ARTICLE XXX
Physical Fitness Program
A. The Town of Canton will reimburse up to one-half the cost of the annual fee, not to exceed two
hundred dollars ($200) in the employee's first year of enrollment and one hundred fifty dollars ($150) in
subsequent years, at a health club approved by the Selectmen.
B. In order to be reimbursed under this Article, employees must provide satisfactory evidence of
participation to the Chief. A receipted bill shall be provided to the Chief before Town payment can be
made. The Town will pay one-half of its share after receiving the receipted bill and one-half after six (6)
months of participation.
C. Employees must pass a physical examination before joining a health club, The Town will pay the
cost of a complete physical examination for each employee every two years. The cost of this physical
shall not exceed three hundred fifty dollars ($350) and the results shall be confidential between the doctor
and the employee.
ARTICLE XXXI
Material in Personnel File
One personnel file will be kept for each employee in accordance with provisions of G.L. c. 149,
§52C. No material derogatory to an employee's conduct, service, character or personality will be placed in
his/her personnel file unless the employee has had an opportunity to review such material. The employee
will, at his/her option, acknowledge that he/she has had the opportunity to review such material by
affixing his/her signature to the copy to be filed with the express understanding that such signing in no
way indicates agreement with the content thereof. The employee will also have the right to submit a
written answer to such material and his/her answer shall be reviewed by the Chief and attached to the file
copy.
29Source page 47
ARTICLE YOOCII
Severabilitv
In the event any federal or state law or court of competent jurisdiction invalidates any section of
this Agreement, the remainder of the Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.
ARTICLE XXXIII
Final Agreement
The Canton Police Association MCOP Local 374 acknowledges that during the negotiations which
resulted in this Agreement it had the unlimited right and opportunity to make demands and proposals with
respect to all proper subjects of collective bargaining and that all subjects have been discussed and negotiated
upon and the Agreements contained in this contract were arrived at after flee exercise of such rights and
opportunities. Therefore, the Association, for the term of this Agreement, voluntarily and without
qualification waives the right and agrees that the Town of Canton shall not be obligated to bargain
collectively with regard to any subject or matter referred to or covered in this Agreement, or with respect
to any subject matter not specifically referred to or covered in this Agreement.
ARTICLE XXXIV
Management Rights
Except as specifically provided hereunder, the Association agrees that nothing shall impair or infringe
upon the Town or its duly empowered representatives from prescribing the methods and means by which its
operations of the Police Department shall be conducted.
The Town reserves and retains all the regular and customary rights, functions and prerogatives of
municipal management which have not been specifically relinquished, abridged or limited by this
Agreement.
ARTICLE XXXV
E-911
Effective July 1, 2008, the annual stipend for performing defibrillator and E-911
a.
and receiving related training will be $1,850 Said amount will be rolled into base pay
Effective July 1, 2009, the stipend shall increase to $2,100. Said amount shall be
b.
30Source page 48
included in base pay.,
C.
Effective July 1, 2010, the stipend shall be $2,350 included in the base pay.
Upon receipt of EMT Recertification, each officer shall be credited with at least thirty-Ofour
d.
(34) hours of compensatory time and up to fifty two (52) hours if the officer recertifies
completely on his or her own time.
ARTICLE VOCVI
Emergency Contact Stipend
The Town agrees to pay officers $20.00 per month on June 15th of each year to offset the cost of cell
phones. Officers shall provide their current cell phone numbers to the Chief of Police who will maintain
an inventory of said numbers.
ARTICLE )00(VII
Maintenance of Benefits
Well established benefits accorded to employees that are not covered by any provision of this Agreement
will not be changed.
ARTICLE )0(XVIII
Miscellaneous Previsions
The Town agrees to reimburse the Union in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) toward the cost
A.
of printing the contracts. The Union agrees to assume the total responsibility of printing these contracts,
B.The Town will reimburse officers the cost of the annual fee, not to exceed fifty dollars ($50), for
enrollment at the Canton Fish and Game Club. It is understood that membership at this club is strictly
voluntary and that participation at the club will occur on the officers' own time.
C. There will be a contract reopener for the sole purpose of discussing the use of civilian
dispatchers when the new police facility becomes available.
31Source page 49
ARTICLE XXXIX
Limited Duty
Section I: An employee who is receiving line of duty injury benefits under G.L. c.4 1, § 111F and who is
certified (at the Town's expense) by a Town-designated physician to be able to perform limited police
duties may be required by the Chief to perform limited duty in accordance with the procedures
outlined in this Article.
Section 2: a. If, upon notification from the Chief, an employee disagrees with the Town designated
physician's determination that the employee may be assigned to limited duty, the employee may, at
his/her own expense, be examined by a physician of his/her own choosing as expeditiously as possible.
The employee's physician shall notify the Chief in writing of his/her determination of the employee's
fitness to perform limited duty as soon as possible after such examination.
b. If the report of the employee's physician supports the assignment of limited duty, the
employee shall forthwith report for limited duty.
c. If the report of the employee's physician does not support the assignment of limited duty,
the employee shall be examined by a neutral physician who is a specialist in the area of the employee's
injury. The neutral physician shall be designated jointly by the Town's physician and the employee's
physician as soon as practicable under the circumstances. The two (2) physicians shall endeavor to
designate a neutral physician capable of examining the employee within seven (7) calendar days of his/her
designation as the neutral physician. The costs of the neutral physician shall be borne by the Town.
d. If the report of the neutral physician supports the assignment of limited duty, the
employee shall forthwith report for limited duty. If the report does not support the assignment of limited
duty, the employee shall remain on injured leave under G.L. c. 41, § 111 F.
e. The Town shall provide each physician who administers an examination under this
procedure a detailed analysis of the physical requirements of the task(s) to which the employee shall be
assigned if returned to limited duty. The physician shall be asked to make his/her determination of the fitness
of the examined employee to perform limited duty based on the specific physical requirements of each limited
duty task. Each physician who determines that an examined employee is capable of being assigned to limited
duty shall be required to specify in his/her report which limited duty tasks the examined employee is capable
32Source page 50
of performing and the recommended number of hours per day and per week that the employee may be
assigned to limited duty.
f. If it is determined that the employee is not capable of performing the limited
duty assignment, the Town may reasonably require reexamination consistent with prior medical
examinations.
Section 3: Limited duty tasks shall be limited to duties that are regularly performed by fulltime members of
the Department and that are consistent with the employee's medical diagnosis. No employee shall be
assigned limited duty tasks outside of the police station.
Section 4: It is understood by the parties that an employee will not be required to report for limited duty and
sit idly if there is no legitimate limited duty work available.
Section 5: The Town agrees that an employee who works less than a full week of limited duty shall be
considered to be on injured leave for that portion of the regular work week during which the employee
does not perform limited duty, and the employee shall be paid for such time in accordance with G.L. c. 41, §
11 1 F.
Section 6: The Chief may assign employees to limited duty on any shift Employees so assigned who
normally receive a shift differential will continue to receive their regular shift differential while on limited
duty unless the shift they are assigned to warrants a higher differential, in which case they will receive the
higher differential. (This could only occur when an officer normally assigned to shift 2 is assigned to limited
duty on shift 3).
Section 7: Limited duty shall be made available on a voluntary basis to employees on long-term sick leave
if the employees provide to the Town a medical release establishing their fitness for limited duty.
ARTICLE X.X.X.X.
Performance Appraisal
Employees will receive an annual performance evaluation by the Police Chief or his designee. The
evaluation is for internal purposes only. The parties agree to establish a Joint Labor-Management
Committee consisting of three (3) persons designated by the Town and three (3) persons designated by
the Union to discuss and establish the internal purposes for which performance evaluation shall be used
and the procedures, instrument, and training to be used in the new performance appraisal system. The
evaluation shall not form the basis for undertaking any disciplinary action. This system shall be
33Source page 51
implemented effective July 1, 2008. Any individual performance evaluation given to a bargaining unit
member shall be subject to the contractual grievance arbitration procedure.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto set their hands and seals this
day of 'bard() a) (1 . This Agreement is subject to funding by the Canton Town Meeting.
CANTON POLICE ASSOCIATION BOARD OF SELECTMEN
MCOP LOCAL 374
34Source page 52
APPENDIX B
SPECIALTY POSITIONS
1. Specialty positions, with the exception of the Detail Officer shall be posted for application by
all employees with a description of the job duties, hours, and requirements. Such posting shall be for twelve
(12) days and said posting shall indicate a decision date. The Chief shall determine the most qualified
applicant for the position in conjunction with the conditions set forth in Article V of the Agreement.
Applicants shall make their application in writing to the Chief.
2. Specialty positions shall be compensated in accordance with the following schedule:
Detective $1,300 (In Base Weekly But subtracted prior to All COLA/
Step Raise Calculations- Then Added Back in)
Detective Sergeant $1,550 (In Base Weekly but Subtracted Prior To All COLA
Step Raise Calculations — Then Added Back in)
Prosecuting Officer $1,825 (In Base Weekly but Subtracted Prior To All COLA
Step Raise Calculations — Then Added Back in)
Range Coordinator $725 (2 Payments June/December)
Detail Officer $1,025 (2 Payments June/December)
Fleet Maintenance Officer $625 (2 Payments June/December)
Accident Reporting Office $625 (2 Payments June/December)
EMT $1,625 (2 Payments June/December)
First Responder $250 (2 Payments June/December)
Motorcycle Officer $625 (2 Payments June/December)
School Resource Officer $625 (2 Payments June/December)
Community Liaison $1,000 (2 Payments June/December)
Computer Maintenance $ 850 (2 Payments June/December)
Cell Phone Payment $ 240 (Full Payment in June)
Up to two field training officers $750 (2 Officer Max - Pay June/December)
Up to four firearm instructors $600 (4 Officers Max) Pay June/December)
38Source page 53
Canton Police Association members who become State and/or nationally registered certified
EMT's shall receive the following:
1.$1,625 per year;
2. Compensatory time off at straight time for completion of the EMT course and passing the
examination;
3. Compensatory time off at straight time for the hours spent maintaining certification and recertifying;
and
4. Time off from their shift, at no charge, to attend training sessions for recertification, provided they
do not
have to be replaced at overtime costs to the Town.
5. To assure timely payment, employees who intend to become EMT-certified for the first time
should notify the Chief by November 1 of the fiscal year prior to the fiscal year in which they
expect to become eligible for EMT pay.
6. The specialty stipend for Detective Sergeant, Detective, and Prosecutor will be added to the
employee's base pay with the understanding that it will come out of their base pay if the Chief
assigns that job to another officer.
39