§ 1721. Purpose This chapter shall be known as the Vermont Municipal Employee Relations Act. It is the purpose and policy of this chapter to prescribe the legitimate rights of both municipal employees and municipal employers in their relations with each other; to provide orderly and peaceful procedures for preventing the interference by either with […]
§ 1722. Definitions As used in this chapter: (1) “Agency service fee” means a fee deducted by an employer from the salary or wages of an employee who is not a member of an employee organization, which is paid to the employee organization that is the exclusive bargaining agent for the bargaining unit of the […]
§ 1723. Determination of the bargaining unit Nothing in this chapter shall prevent a municipal employer from voluntarily recognizing an employee organization as the exclusive bargaining agent. Voluntary recognition may be granted at the request of an employee organization if: (1) The employee organization demonstrates the support of a majority of the employees and the […]
§ 1724. Certification procedure (a)(1) A petition may be filed with the Board, in accordance with rules adopted by the Board: (A) By an employee or group of employees, or any individual or employee organization purporting to act on their behalf, alleging that not less than 30 percent of the employees wish to form a […]
§ 1725. Collective bargaining procedure (a)(1) For the purpose of collective bargaining, the representatives of the municipal employer and the bargaining unit shall meet at any reasonable time and shall bargain in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and conditions of employment and shall execute a written contract incorporating any agreement reached; provided, however, […]
§ 1726. Unfair labor practices (a) It shall be an unfair labor practice for an employer: (1) To interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights guaranteed by this chapter or by any other law, rule, or regulation. (2) To dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee […]
§ 1727. Prevention of unfair labor practices (a) The Board may prevent any person from engaging in any unfair labor practice. Whenever a charge is made that any person has engaged in or is engaging in any unfair labor practice, the Board may issue and cause to be served upon that person a complaint stating […]
§ 1728. Freedom of expression The expression of any views, argument, or opinion, or the dissemination thereof, whether in written, printed, graphic, oral, or visual form, shall not constitute or be evidence of an unfair labor practice under this chapter, if such expression contains no threat of reprisal or promise of benefit. (Added 1973, No. […]
§ 1729. Enforcement and review (a) Orders of the Board issued under this chapter may be enforced by any party or by the Board by filing a petition with the Washington Superior Court or the Superior Court in the county in which the action before the Board originated. The petition shall be served on the […]
§ 1730. Restrictions on strikes (a) A strike shall not be prohibited unless (1) it occurs sooner than 30 days after the delivery of a factfinder’s report to the parties pursuant to subsection 1732(e) of this title; (2) it occurs after both parties have voluntarily submitted a dispute to final and binding arbitration, or after […]
§ 1731. Mediation (a) If the parties are at an impasse in negotiations, either party may petition the Commissioner of Labor to appoint a mediator. The Commissioner shall within 30 days serve as a mediator, or shall appoint a mediator, who shall communicate with the employer and the employees or their representatives and endeavor by […]
§ 1732. Fact-finding (a) If after a reasonable period of time not less than 15 days after the appointment of a mediator the impasse is not resolved, the mediator shall certify to the Commissioner of Labor that the impasse continues. The Commissioner shall appoint a qualified fact finder within 30 days of a request by […]
§ 1733. Arbitration (a)(1) Nothing in this chapter shall prevent the legislative body of a municipal employer and the exclusive bargaining agent from voluntarily submitting a contract impasse to final and binding arbitration or for the municipality by a referendum vote from adopting binding arbitration procedures, in the following form: The arbitrator shall have the […]
§ 1734. Miscellaneous (a) Municipal employees and exclusive bargaining agents are authorized to negotiate provisions in a collective bargaining agreement calling for: (1) Payroll deduction of employee organization dues and initiation fees. (2) Binding arbitration of grievances involving the interpretation or application of a written collective bargaining agreement. The cost of arbitration shall be shared […]
§ 1735. School districts; certified employees; teachers For the purposes of representation in, and prevention of, unfair labor practices under sections 1726-1729 of this title, a teacher who is a certified employee of a school district shall be considered a municipal employee; and any school district, which includes any public school district or any quasi-public […]
§ 1736. Contract ratification; annual vote Annually, the employees of the bargaining unit shall meet and discuss whether employees who have chosen not to join the employee organization shall be allowed to vote on the ratification of any collective bargaining agreement entered into pursuant to this chapter. After discussion, employees that are members of the […]
§ 1737. Automatic membership dues deduction Employees who are members of the employee organization shall have the right to automatic membership dues deductions. Upon receipt of a signed authorization to commence automatic membership dues deductions from an employee, the employer shall, as soon as practicable and in any event, not later than 30 calendar days […]
§ 1738. Access to new employees in bargaining unit (a) An employer shall provide the employee organization that is the exclusive representative of the employees in a bargaining unit with an opportunity to meet with each newly hired employee in the bargaining unit to present information about the employee organization. (b)(1) The meeting shall occur […]
§ 1739. Annual list of employees in bargaining unit (a) Annually, or on a more frequent basis if mutually agreed to by the employer and the employee organization, the employer shall provide the employee organization that is the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit with a list of all employees in that bargaining unit. (b) […]
