Ballot 2026 Series
Our Ballot 2026 Series is the BoxfordDems’ attempt at providing brief overviews of the various certified Massachusetts ballot initiatives as they pertain to our region. They cover topics such as taxes, housing, elections, transparency in government, conservation funding, marijuana policy, labor rights, and voter registration.
Opinions expressed in the series do not necessarily represent those of the Boxford Democratic Town Committee and should not be considered to be Committee endorsements of a particular policy or initiative. They are provided to promote healthy discussion and help voters make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Collective Bargaining for Committee for Public Counsel Services Employees
Did you know that public defenders are currently legally unable to form a union?
By Christina Eckert. Published XXXX 2026
According the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) own website, it
provides legal representation in Massachusetts for those unable to afford an attorney in all matters in which the law requires the appointment of counsel. This includes representation in criminal, delinquency, youthful offender, child welfare, mental health, sexually dangerous person and sex offender registry cases, as well as related appeals and post-conviction matters.
Currently public defenders do not have a union. This includes roughly 750 public defenders, social workers, investigators, administrative assistants, and IT staff.
Passing this ballot measure would change the Commonwealth’s collective-bargaining laws to formally define CPCS as a public employer, which would grant workers the same organizing rights as other state employees.
Deeper dive
A precipitating situation arose last year when bar-advocates effected a work stoppage last year, and CPCS lawyers picked up whatever slack they could. (Bar advocates are private lawyers who take indigent cases and are paid a minimal hourly rate—about $80—by the judiciary. They stopped taking cases last year and dozens if not hundreds of cases had to be thrown out because defendants were left without representation.)
The Legislature added additional funding in the state budget for CPCS to hire as many as 320 more lawyers to relieve the state’s dependence on bar advocates. Bar advocates would not be included in this union, but social workers, investigators, administrative assistants, and IT staff would be included.
Pros/Cons
ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR
This ballot question is backed by labor groups, including SEIU Local 888 and the National Association of Government Employees (NAGE).
Public defenders are facing overwhelming caseloads, which have knock-on effects relating to staff retention and workplace conditions.
This will allow public defenders to establish a formalized voice in agency funding and policies.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST
Currently there is no opposition to this ballot question..
Summary
Voting YES would
Allow Public Defenders to form a union
Require CPCS to submit any resulting contract to the governor's office for funding approval within 30 days of signing.
Voting NO would
Mean the Public Defenders cannot form a union.
Massachusetts voters will decide this initiative on November 3, 2026.
Author recommendation
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christina Eckert is a Boxford resident and Secretary of the Boxford Democratic Town Committee. She is also a legislative aide to Kristin Kassner, State Representative 2nd Essex District.
What do you think?
Please weigh in. Let us know if you’re in favor of or opposed to this initiative. Voting ends on Friday and results will be published in next week’s newsletter.
2026 BALLOT MEASURES?
The nine statewide questions that will appear on November ballots are numbered as follows:
Q 1: Expanding the Public Records Law (Yes)
Q 2: Collective Bargaining for CPCS Employees (Yes)
Q 3: State Primary Elections (No)
Q 4: Election Day Registration (Yes)
Q 5: State Revenue Limit & Rebate
Q 6: Natural-Resource Conservation Fund (Yes)
Q 7: Single Family Homes
Q 8: Sale of Adult Recreational Use Marijuana (No)
Q 9: Firearms Regulation
BoxfordDems Newsletter consensus votes are indicated in parentheses. They are made available as we publish the articles.
Table of recurring content - TK
