Bill > S1059

This bill amends the Municipal Employees' Arbitration law to provide more detailed guidelines for interest arbitration, which is a process for resolving labor disputes between municipal employees and their employers without the right to strike. The bill clarifies and expands the collective bargaining rights of municipal employees by establishing specific factors that arbitrators must consider when making decisions about wages, rates of pay, and employment conditions. These factors include comparing wage rates and working conditions with similar jobs in the local area, comparing wages with employers in comparable-sized cities or towns, considering the public interest, and evaluating unique job characteristics such as hazards, physical and educational qualifications, mental requirements, and job training. The bill also strengthens the arbitration process by making arbitrators' majority decisions final and binding, and ensuring that designated negotiators have the authority to conclude binding collective bargaining agreements. Additionally, the bill modifies existing provisions about maintaining contract terms during negotiations and clarifies the scope of arbitration decisions. The legislation aims to create a more structured and fair approach to resolving labor disputes for municipal employees while maintaining the prohibition on strikes.

Labor and Employment

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