PSO Boston Local Union

PSO Boston Local Union

PSO · Local

PSO Boston Local Union

Collective Bargaining Agreement

AEPS / LEOS-PBA Bridge Agreement — February 1, 2026 – January 31, 2029
Incorporating the Paragon Systems CBA

📄 Official Contract
AEPS and LEOS-PBA Bridge Agreement
Version 2026-2029 · Effective 23rd day of February, 2026
📖 View PDF ⬇ Download

Wages & Compensation

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Top Secret Post $38.70/hr effective Feb 1, 2026 (includes $3.00 clearance premium)
Secret Post $37.20/hr effective Feb 1, 2026 (includes $1.50 clearance premium)
Armed Security Officer $35.70/hr effective Feb 1, 2026 (all other locations)
Clearance Premium Applies Only while physically on a Government-designated Secret/Top Secret post. Cleared officer on non-cleared post gets Armed rate
Pay Period Biweekly — every other Friday beginning February 20, 2026 (Bridge Agreement §7 and §18)
Wage Reopeners Feb 1, 2027 and Feb 1, 2028 (ninety days prior notice)
Shift Differential $0.30/hr for hours between 2000–0600 Mon–Fri AND all weekend hours (Sat 12:01am – Sun 11:59pm)
Overtime Rate 1.5× for all hours of actual work over 40 in workweek. Only hours actually worked count — no pyramiding
Probationary Rate $2.00/hr LESS than straight-time rate during 90-day probationary period
H&W Contribution $5.25 per hour worked (Bridge Agreement §17)
Retirement Contribution $1.50 per hour worked, max 40 hrs/week / 2,080 hrs/year
Fringe Benefit Opt-Out Employees may opt out; no unauthorized per-hour administrative fee may be assessed to opt-out employees
Undisputed Pay Error Errors over $100 corrected within 1 week of written notice; all others on next paycheck

Hours of Work

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Full-Time Definition Average 36 hours per week. Part-time = all others (Article 7.2)
Part-Time Requirement Part-time employees must work a 12-hour shift at least once per month (Bridge Agreement §5)
Workweek Sunday 0000 hours through Saturday 2359 hours (Bridge Agreement §6 changed from Fri–Thu)
Overtime Threshold Hours of actual work over 40 per workweek at 1.5× rate. Only actual hours worked count
Call-In / Report Pay 4 hours minimum when required to report outside regular schedule (2 hours for meetings/training)
Call-In Pay (16.7) 2 hours minimum when called in by management on outside scheduled hours
Mandatory Overtime Assigned in reverse seniority order except when late notice prevents it
Overtime Sign-Up Quarterly sign-up sheet; offered in seniority order. Decline twice in 6 months = removed from list
Shift Bidding Quarterly; employee awarded bid must accept it; cannot re-bid for 6 months
Underpay Correction Employee must report error within 2 business days of learning of it

Seniority

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Definition Government Seniority: total continuous service with current contractor AND predecessor contractors performing same contract functions (Article 17.1)
Probationary Period 90 calendar days from first day standing post — at-will, no grievance/discipline protections, Union does not represent in discipline/layoff
Seniority Acquired At end of 90-day probation, seniority counts from first day standing post
Seniority List Employer provides updated list every 6 months AND upon Union request
Tie-Breaker Employee with highest most-recent firearms qualification score is senior when hire dates are the same
Layoff Order Part-time employees first, then full-time employees, in reverse order of seniority
Recall Rights Recall in reverse layoff order. Seniority lost if laid off, off sick, or on WC for 1+ continuous year
Recall Notice Must respond within 2 business days of telegram/registered mail notification or seniority is lost
Loss of Seniority Quit; discharged for just cause; fail to return from recall; 1+ year layoff/sick/WC; fail weapons requalification
Supervisor Transfer Transfers out of unit: seniority frozen. Must return within 90 days or unit seniority is lost (wage/benefit seniority unaffected)

Grievance Procedure

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Definition Any disagreement or dispute concerning the application, meaning or interpretation of an express provision of this Agreement (Article 13)
Informal Resolution Before filing formally, employee and/or Union rep must notify the Captain and attempt informal resolution first
Step 1 — File (Captain) Submit written grievance to immediate supervisor within 7 calendar days of occurrence or when employee knew or should have known
Step 1 — Answer Supervisor must respond in writing within 7 calendar days of receipt
Step 2 — Appeal (Project Manager) If not resolved at Step 1 (or no response), union has 7 calendar days from Step 1 answer (or date it was due) to submit to Project Manager
Step 2 — Answer Project Manager must respond in writing within 7 calendar days of receipt
Step 3 — Appeal (Corporate) If not resolved at Step 2 (or no response), union has 7 calendar days to submit the grievance in writing to AEPS Corporate
Step 3 — Answer Company must respond in writing within 7 calendar days of receipt
Arbitration Demand Union may demand binding arbitration within 7 calendar days after Step 3 response or deadline — request FMCS panel within 10 calendar days
Discharge / Suspension Grievances involving discharge or suspension BEGIN at Step 3 (skip Steps 1 and 2)
Missed Deadline — Step 1 Grievance deemed WAIVED if not timely filed at Step 1
Missed Deadline — Step 2/3 Grievance deemed finally settled per prior Company response if not timely appealed
Time Limits Time limits are OF THE ESSENCE. Only mutual written agreement can extend them
Right to Representation Employee may have a Union representative at each step

Discipline & Discharge

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Just Cause Required No employee shall be discharged or disciplined without just cause (Article 12.1)
Progressive Discipline Verbal reprimand → Written reprimand → Suspension → Termination. Employer may skip steps or go directly to termination for serious misconduct
Right to Representation At employee's request, investigatory interview anticipated to result in discipline must be in presence of authorized Union Official or Steward, if reasonably available (Article 12.6)
Peer Witness DELETED Bridge Agreement §15 REMOVED the "peer as witness" fallback — if no Steward available, there is no peer substitute
Verbal/Written Records Only prior 12-month rolling period considered when determining discipline for verbal/written records
Suspension Records Only prior 18-month rolling period considered when determining discipline for suspensions
Records in File Disciplinary records remain in file throughout tenure UNLESS reversed in grievance/arbitration process
1 Day Discipline Equals 8 hours lost. 1 week = 5 days = 40 hours
Absenteeism Policy Strict liability: 1st unauthorized = verbal, 2nd = written, 3rd = 1-day suspension, 4th = 5-day suspension, 5th = termination (within rolling 12 months)
Open Post (Late Arrival) 1st = 1-day suspension, 2nd = 3-day, 3rd = 5-day, 4th = termination (within rolling 12 months)
FPS Inspection Report Negative FPS inspection report included as just-cause basis (Bridge Agreement §14)
Government Removal If Government directs removal from contract, employer has right to comply — no grievance/arbitration recourse

Holidays

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Paid Holidays (12 total) New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, Good Friday
Holiday Eligibility Must work scheduled day before AND scheduled day after the holiday (per Bridge Agreement §10) — unless that day is regularly scheduled off, or employee was on pre-approved vacation/personal day
Not Worked (Full-Time) 8 hours straight-time pay
Worked (Full-Time) Straight-time pay for all hours worked PLUS 8 hours holiday pay (total = hours worked × regular rate + 8 hours)
Part-Time Holiday Pay Prorated based on average weekly hours from prior 2 weeks
Holiday on Weekend Paid only on the day observed by the federal government client
Holiday Pay NOT Overtime Holiday hours not worked do not count toward 40-hour overtime threshold
Worked on Holiday, No Show Employee who agrees to work but fails to report receives NO holiday pay and faces discipline up to discharge
No Holiday Pay on Leave No holiday pay while on any leave including workers' compensation

Vacation

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Eligibility Vacation vests ONLY after completion of 1 full year of service. No proration for less than 1 year
After 1 Year 80 hours (10 days)
After 5 Years 120 hours (15 days)
After 10 Years 160 hours (20 days)
Accrual Rate (Yrs 1–5) 0.043 hours earned per hour worked
Accrual Rate (Yrs 6–10) 0.064 hours earned per hour worked
Accrual Rate (Yr 11+) 0.085 hours earned per hour worked
Vesting & Cash-Out Vests on anniversary date. Unused vested vacation paid out in cash in first full pay period after anniversary
No Carryover Vacation cannot be carried over to the next year
Separation Payout Vested but unused vacation paid out upon separation
Vacation Scheduling Written request required. Approved/denied within 5 business days. Max 5% of workforce on vacation at once; resolved by seniority
Vacation Bid Window Oct 1–15 each year (per Bridge Agreement §13). Results provided by Oct 31
Minimum Increment 8 hours minimum; cannot take vacation in increments less than 8 hours
Fringe Benefits on Vacation H&W contributions ARE paid on vacation actually taken (Article 15)

Sick Leave & Personal Time

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Sick Leave Accrual 1 hour for every 30 hours worked, maximum 56 hours per year (Oct 1 – Sep 30 cycle)
Sick Leave Use Bona fide illness, injury, doctor appointment, or care of covered family member per 13 C.F.R. Part 13
Sick Leave Notice Must notify supervisor at least 4 hours before scheduled start time
Sick Leave Minimum Must cover full shift; minimum 2-hour increments
Sick Leave Payout Unused sick leave paid out in CASH at end of October cycle (must be employed at payout date). NOT paid on termination
Personal Days 2 personal days per year — vested as lump sum each October 1 for full-time employees
Personal Day Minimum Cannot be taken in increments less than 4 hours. No cash-out
Bereavement Leave 24 scheduled work hours (approx. 3 days) for death of: parent, sibling, child, step-relations, spouse, in-laws, uncle, aunt, grandparent
Jury Duty Up to 5 work days paid; compensated at straight-time rate minus court pay received. Must notify within 48 hrs of receiving notice
Military Leave Per USERRA (38 U.S.C. §4301 et seq.) — unpaid; may elect to use accrued vacation
3-Day Sick Absence Must provide physician verification after 3 consecutive sick days or face discipline/termination

Health & Welfare

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H&W Total Contribution $5.25 per hour worked — diverted to Company Medical Plan and/or Retirement Plan (Bridge Agreement §17)
Retirement Contribution $1.50 per hour worked (additional) — directed to Company Retirement Plan, max 40 hrs/week, max 2,080 hrs/year
Paid On All hours actually worked PLUS vacation actually taken
NOT Paid On Sick leave hours, holiday hours not worked, leave cash-outs, military leave, FMLA, workers' compensation, personal leave of absence
Annual Reopeners Wage reopeners for H&W on February 1, 2027 and February 1, 2028 (ninety days prior notice)
Health Benefit Election Employees working 30+ hrs/week may elect health benefits annually. Those declining coverage have H&W deposited into Company 401K
Fringe Opt-Out Employees may opt out of fringe benefits; no unauthorized per-hour administrative fee may be assessed to opt-out employees
Retirement Plan Company Retirement Plan (per Bridge Agreement — referred to as Empower 401-SCA per your grievance documentation)
Boon Admin Services Third-party administrator for H&W benefit elections and enrollment

Management Rights & Union Security

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Management Rights Employer retains all statutory and inherent managerial rights except as expressly limited by this Agreement (Article 5)
Union Recognition LEOS-PBA recognized as sole and exclusive bargaining representative for FPS Eastern Massachusetts locations
Union Security Employees must join Union or pay service fee within 10 days after 30th day of employment (unless in right-to-work jurisdiction)
Dues Deduction Voluntary payroll deduction authorized by signed card; deducted from first paycheck of each month. Employer retains $1.00/employee as admin fee
No Strike / No Lockout Absolute no-strike, no-lockout clause. Sympathy strikes and work slowdowns also prohibited. Immediate discharge for violating
Government Requests Actions taken by Company per DHS/Government request shall NOT constitute a breach of this Agreement
Contract Duration February 1, 2026 through January 31, 2029
Wage Reopeners February 1, 2027 and February 1, 2028. Process begins 90 days prior to January 21st of those years
H&W Reopeners Same dates as wage reopeners
Successor Clause Agreement binding on successors and assigns