Majority Authorization Act of 2007

In September of 2007, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed the Majority Authorization Bill into law in front of many state lawmakers and labor leaders, including then-AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer/current National AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka and Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes. This law grants Massachusetts public employees the right to form a collective bargaining unit by achieving majority support in writing.Governor Deval Patrick signs the Majority Authorization Bill as union leaders and lawmakers look on

The Majority Authorization Bill, after narrowly passing through the Massachusetts House and Senate in 2005, was haulted in a last-minute veto by then-Governor Mitt Romney. After its reintroduction in 2007, the bill survived the legislature again and was signed into law after a rousing speech by Governor Patrick in which he recognized the need for the Commonwealth to protect public employees' right to organize and bargain collectively for fair wages, health benefits, and workplace protections.

The lead sponsors of the Majority Authorization Bill were Rep. Robert DeLeo (now Speaker DeLeo) and Senator Robert O'Leary. With the signing of the Majority Authorization Bill, Massachusetts becomes the 6th state to pass such legislation that evens the playing field between public employees and management, showing the Commonwealth's commitment to trust these workers to make their own decisions without being harassed or intimidated by management.