Employees: meal periods: stationary engineers

The law adds stationary engineers to an existing meal-period exception for certain unionized occupations. Their collective bargaining agreements can govern meal periods instead of the default state rules when specified worker protections are included.

What the law does ​

• Exempts eligible stationary engineers from the standard meal-period requirements.
• Requires their collective bargaining agreement to cover wages, hours, working conditions, and meal periods.
• Requires final and binding arbitration for disputes over the agreement’s meal-period terms.
• Requires overtime premium pay and a regular hourly wage at least 30% above the state minimum wage.
• Defines stationary engineers as skilled tradespeople at fixed facilities who operate, maintain, monitor, and repair equipment and building systems, including boilers, chillers, HVAC systems, pumps, compressors, generators, and other critical machinery.

Who it affects ​

• Stationary engineers performing building maintenance work whose occupation has a qualifying state-registered apprenticeship program.
• Employers of those stationary engineers.
• Unions and employers negotiating qualifying collective bargaining agreements.