Bill > HB3979

This bill modifies Oregon's Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) to fundamentally change how labor disputes involving public employees are resolved. The bill prohibits public employees from engaging in strikes to resolve labor disputes and instead mandates that unresolved labor issues be submitted to final and binding arbitration. Specifically, the legislation removes existing provisions that previously allowed certain public employees to strike under specific circumstances and replaces them with a mandatory arbitration process. When negotiations reach an impasse, public employers and labor organizations will now be required to submit their disputes to an arbitrator who will select one of the parties' final offer packages based on factors such as public interest, the employer's financial ability, employee compensation comparisons, and other traditional bargaining considerations. The bill effectively eliminates the option of strikes for public employees across various sectors, including those in education, public safety, and other government services, and establishes a structured alternative dispute resolution mechanism designed to prevent work stoppages while ensuring a fair process for resolving labor conflicts.

Labor and Employment

https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2025R1/Measures/Overview/HB3979