Here's what the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act (S-3810/A-5862) will do:

Expands the Scope of Bargaining: This bill would allow public sector unions and management to negotiate over workplace issues beyond basic topics like wages and benefits. By expanding the scope of bargaining, labor and management will have the ability to enter into binding agreements over more subjects leading to more efficient resolution of issues.

End the Imposition of Contracts: Under imposition, management can claim that the two sides have reached impasse and impose their version of a contract. Coupled with the inability of state and local government workers to strike, this results in an unfair imbalance of power that puts workers at a distinct disadvantage at the bargaining table. The looming threat of imposition creates an environment where workers are forced to bargain at the point of a gun.

Allow Unions to Charge Non-Members for Arbitration: The 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Janus case required that public sector unions continue to represent workers that choose not to join the union or pay any dues.  This bill would allow a union to require that non-members pay the cost of taking their case to arbitration, which costs thousands of dollars per day. This cost is otherwise born by the rest of the employees who pay union dues.

This bill also addresses other obstacles to the ability of workers in state and local government to come together to bargain and exercise their rights under their contracts in several ways. 

This bill will also:

• Require that employers provide a union with information for unrepresented employees.
• Require that complaints issued by PERC involving allegations of retaliation for union activity to be scheduled for hearing within 60 to 90 days from the date a complaint is issued.
• Provides that communications between a union and its members regarding collective negotiations, contract administration and other workplace matters shall be treated as confidential communications and shall not be subject to disclosure.
• Require PERC to accept electronic signatures on cards or petitions submitted for purposes of conducting a representation election or certifying a union based on card check procedures.
• Eliminate the 10-day window following an employee's anniversary date for purposes of withdrawing dues authorization and allow the parties to agree, through negotiations, to set the revocation of dues to be effective either 30 days after an employee’s anniversary date or on July 1.

Civilian workers have long been at a disadvantage by unfair policies like the ability of management in state and local government to impose contracts. This disadvantage has been exacerbated by the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision in the Janus case which allows certain employees to be free riders who get to enjoy all the benefits of a union without having to pay their fair share of the costs. Call your legislators now and urge them to put these inequities to an end by voting “YES” on the Responsible Collective Negotiations Act (S-3810/A-5862).