Ashburnham-Westminster at 195 (citing Commonwealth MLC 201, 205 (1999); Town of Brookline, 20 MLC of Massachusetts, 1570, 1592 (1994)). 25 An analysis of whether the parties are at impasse requires an assessment of the likelihood of further 20 movement 21 compromise. by either side, and whether they have exhausted all possibility of Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District, 29 MLC at 195 (citing 11 Decision and Ruling (cont'd) Town _of Plymouth

Plymouth, 23 MLC Boston School 76 (1997); Town of Brookline, 20 MLC Committee, Applying this 1593 (1994); standard, the Board deferred numerous unilateral change charges to arbitration.

Town of Brookline, 35 MLC at 36 citing City of Gardner, 26 MLC 72, 77 (2000); Town of Randolph, 8 MLC 2244, 2252 (1982) Further, if the City or Federation argue that the change in the pecking order was simply an incidental variation from past assignment practices, or had no impact since BPPA members continue to receive patrol detail work, this argument must fail because the Board has found that the diminish[ed] value of the benefit accorded to [BPPA

Town of Brookline, 26 MCSR 320 (2013); Burt v. City of New Bedford, 11 MCSR 202 (1998); Crimlisku v. Waltham School Department,10 MCSR 141 (1997); and Ratta v. City of Watertown, 18 MCSR 150 (2005).

See also Town of Brookline v. Alston, 487 Mass. 278 (2021) (analyzing broad scope of the Commissions jurisdiction to enforce basic merit principles under civil service law); Commissioners of Civil Service v.

See also Town of Brookline v. Alston, 487 Mass. 278 (2021) (analyzing broad scope of the Commissions jurisdiction to enforce basic merit principles under civil service law). 16 ANALYSIS Somerville failed to establish by a preponderance of the evidence that it made a reasonably thorough review of Mr. Limas application for appointment as an SFD Reserve Firefighter and that the decision to bypass him was reasonably justified.

See 16 also Town of Brookline v. Alston, 487 Mass. 278 (2021) (analyzing broad scope of the Commissions jurisdiction to enforce basic merit principles under civil service law). Public safety officers are vested with considerable power and discretion and must be held to a high standard of conduct. See, e.g., Falmouth v. Civil Service Commn, 61 Mass. App. Ct. 796, 801 (2004), citing City of Cambridge v. Civil Service Commn, 43 Mass. App.

Dist., 29 MLC 191, 193 (2003); Town of Dennis, 28 MLC 297, 301 (2002); Town of Brookline, 20 MLC 1570, 1592 (1994); Town of Ludlow, 17 MLC 1191, 1198 (1990). -4- G.L. c. 32B, 21-22 outline a process for making plan design changes to municipal health insurance and specifically provides that an appropriate public authority may increase the dollar amounts for copayments, deductibles, tiered provider network copayments and other costsharing plan design

Town of Brookline, D1-16-170 (April 13, 2017), a case involving an African-American firefighter asserting that the towns adverse personnel actions against him would not have occurred at all, or would have been much milder, but for his race, the Commission explained: the Legislature explicitly charged the Commission with ensuring [civil service employers] adherence to basic merit principles, which includes assuring fair treatment of public employees

Town of Brookline, 20 MLC 1570, 1594, MUP-8426, 8478, and 8479 (May 20, 1994). The factors considered in determining whether impasse exists include: 1) parties good faith; 2) bargaining history; 3) the length of negotiations; 4) the importance of the issues to which there is disagreement; and 5) the parties contemporaneous understanding concerning the state of the negotiations.