Railroads Duck Massachusetts Paid Sick Leave Law (1)

Massachusetts can’t apply its paid sick leave law to railroad employees who are protected by a federal unemployment insurance program, according to a federal district court.

The federal Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act is the exclusive remedy for rail workers who miss work because of illness or injury, Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts ruled Aug. 10. Gorton’s decision means that railroad employees won’t be able to claim benefits under the Massachusetts Sick Leave Law, which entitles employees working in the state to accrue paid sick leave benefits.

Gorton’s decision, which upheld a ...