Bill > H2314

This bill modifies existing law regarding interest arbitration for state police collective bargaining disputes, which is a process used to resolve disagreements over new contract terms when negotiations fail. Specifically, it changes the procedures for initiating arbitration by requiring the employee organization, representing the uniformed state police, to petition a board if successor contract negotiations haven't resulted in an agreement. If the board confirms no agreement has been reached, it will notify both parties that unresolved issues will be settled through arbitration. The arbitrator will be chosen by both the employee organization and the employer according to the voluntary labor arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association, will set hearing dates, preside over the proceedings, and take evidence. The bill also makes several technical amendments, including removing a sentence from one paragraph, changing the plural "arbitrators" to singular "arbitrator" in another, repealing a section of the law, and importantly, expanding the scope of what can be arbitrated to include not just wages, hours, and conditions of employment, but also standards of productivity and performance, and any other term and condition of employment, removing previous limitations on managerial police matters like appointments, promotions, and transfers, with some exceptions for initial station assignments, seniority in transfers, and disciplinary transfers.