I'm trying to figure out if there is any truth to this or not. I had heard that in MA, you can negotiate a higher step at appointment. I understand many departments hire you as a student officer and there's no negotiation. However I have heard that if you were a state employee, but leave your union/collective bargaining agreement, that when you go to the gaining agency (enter into a new CBA) you can negotiate for something other than step I, based on experience and service with the Commonwealth. Is anyone here one of those HR types who does hiring/firing? I tried to look on the HRD website as well as the red book and I can't find anything.
I got hired as a Campus Police Officer with DPH. Started at step 6 because of comparable experience and current rate of pay. But I seldom have seen it happen in any other agency. And DPH CPOs are glorified security where I worked.