Bill > SB166

Introduced Session

AN ACT To amend Chapter 19 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor practices of public officers and employees, so as to authorize public employees to self-organize or to be represented by a labor organization and to bargain collectively with the state or any political subdivision thereof as to wages, rates of pay, hours, and all other terms and conditions of employment; to provide for definitions; to prohibit public employees from participating in a strike against a public employer; to provide for the establishment of the Georgia Public Employees Relations Board; to provide for the composition, appointment, power, authorities, and duties of such board; to provide that public employees shall have the right to form, join, and participate in or to refrain from forming, joining, or participating in a labor organization; to provide for the deduction, collection, and transmission of membership dues and uniform assessments; to provide for the certification and revocation of the certification of employee organizations to act as bargaining agents; to provide that firefighters and law enforcement officers shall be considered separate bargaining units; to provide that a certified bargaining agent may represent public employees in collective bargaining; to provide for procedures for collective bargaining; to provide for establishment of a grievance procedure; to provide for the resolution of an impasse in collective bargaining; to define certain unfair labor practices; to provide for procedures to remedy unfair labor practices; to provide for the enforcement of final orders of the board; to provide for judicial review of final orders of the board; to provide for civil injunctions against strikes against public employers; to amend Code Section 16-8-16 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to theft by extortion, so as to exclude lawful good faith bargaining from the definition of criminal extortion; to repeal and reserve Code Section 20-2-989.10 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to collective bargaining not permitted or fostered; to repeal and reserve Chapter 5 of Title 25 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to resolution of wages, hours, and working conditions of firefighters; to amend Code Section 45-7-54 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to voluntary contributions by state employees through payroll deductions to certain not for profit organizations, so as to provide that voluntary contributions by state employees may be deducted for organizations which engage in collective bargaining with this state; to amend Chapter 19 of Title 45 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to labor practices of public officers and employees, so as to repeal and reserve Article 1, relating to strikes by public employees; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

Committee Categories

Sonya Halpern (D)*,  Sally Harrell (D)*,  Nabilah Islam Parkes (D)*,  Kim Jackson (D)*,  David Lucas (D)*,  Derek Mallow (D)*,  Nikki Merritt (D)*,  Nan Orrock (D)*,  Freddie Sims (D)*, 

Senate Read and Referred (on 02/15/2023)

Official Document