Bill > H5135

This bill amends the existing Municipal Employees' Arbitration law to enhance the collective bargaining process for municipal employees by establishing a more comprehensive framework for interest arbitration. The bill recognizes municipal employees' rights to organize, negotiate, and bargain collectively over wages, rates of pay, and employment conditions, while maintaining the prohibition on striking. A key provision introduces a detailed set of factors that arbitrators must consider when resolving employment disputes, including comparisons of wage rates and working conditions with similar jobs in the local area, comparable municipal employers, and consideration of job-specific characteristics like hazards, physical and educational qualifications, and job training. The bill grants arbitrators more power by making their majority decision final and binding, and explicitly allows them to render awards on all negotiated matters, including monetary expenditures. This legislation aims to provide a more structured and equitable approach to resolving labor disputes between municipal employees and their employers, ensuring that arbitration decisions are based on comprehensive and fair criteria that take into account the unique aspects of different municipal jobs and the broader economic context.

Labor and Employment

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