Chap. 0494 An Act to constitute eight hours a day's work for
public employees.
Be it enacted, etc., as follows:
Section 1. The service of all laborers, workmen and mechanics, now or hereafter employed by the commonwealth or by any county therein or by any city or town which has accepted the provisions of section twenty of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws, or of section forty-two of
chapter five hundred and fourteen of the acts of the year nineteen hundred and nine, or by any contractor or sub-contractor for or upon any public works of the commonwealth or of any county therein or of any such city or town, is hereby restricted to eight hours in any one calendar day, and it shall be unlawful for any officer of the commonwealth or of any county therein, or of any such city or town, or for any such contractor or sub-contractor or other person whose duty it shall be to employ, direct or control the service of such laborers, workmen or mechanics to require or permit any such laborer, workman or mechanic to work more than eight hours in any one calendar day, except in cases of extraordinary emergency. Danger to property, life, public safety or public health only shall be considered cases of extraordinary emergency within the meaning of this section. In cases where a Saturday half holiday is given the hours of labor upon the other working days of the week may be increased sufficiently to make a total of iorty-eight hours for the week's work. Threat of loss of employment or to obstruct or prevent the obtaining of employment or to refrain from employing in the future, shall each be considered to be "requiring" within the meaning of this section. Engineers shall be regarded as mechanics within the meaning of this act.
Section 2. Every contract, excluding contracts for the purchase of material or supplies, to which the commonwealth or any county therein or any city or town which has accepted the provisions of section twenty of chapter one hundred and six of the Revised Laws, is a party which may involve the employment of laborers, workmen or mechanics shall contain a stipulation that no laborer, workman or mechanic working within this commonwealth, in the employ of the contractor, sub-contractor or other person doing or contracting to do the whole or a part of the work contemplated by the contractor shall be requested or required to work more than eight hours in any one calendar day, and every such contract which does not contain this stipulation shall be null and void.
Section 3. Any agent or official of the commonwealth or of any county therein or of any city or town or any contractor or sub-contractor or any agent or person acting on behalf of any contractor or sub-contractor who violates any provision of this act shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for six months or both such fine and imprisonment for each offence.
Section 4. Tliis act shall not apply to the preparation, printing, shipment and delivery of ballots to be used at a caucus, primary, state, city or town election, nor during the sessions of the general court to persons employed in legislative printing or binding; nor sliall it apply at any time to persons employed in any state, county or municipal institution, on a farm, or in the care of the grounds, in the stable, in the domestic or kitchen and dining room service or in store rooms or offices.
Section 5. All acts and parts of acts inconsistent herewith are hereby repealed.