PRINTER'S NO. 264
No. 231 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY HUTCHINSON, FEBRUARY 16, 1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON LABOR RELATIONS, FEBRUARY 16, 1983
AN ACT
1 Amending the act of July 23, 1970 (P.L.563, No.195), entitled
2 "An act establishing rights in public employes to organize
3 and bargain collectively through selected representatives;
4 defining public employes to include employes of nonprofit
5 organizations and institutions; providing compulsory
6 mediation and fact-finding, for collective bargaining
7 impasses; providing arbitration for certain public employes
8 for collective bargaining impasses; defining the scope of
9 collective bargaining; establishing unfair employe and
10 employer practices; prohibiting strikes for certain public
11 employes; permitting strikes under limited conditions;
12 providing penalties for violations; and establishing
13 procedures for implementation," further providing for
14 collective bargaining agreements; and providing for
15 arbitration in certain cases.
16 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
17 hereby enacts as follows:
18 Section 1. Sections 703 and 802 of the act of July 23, 1970
19 (P.L.563, No.195), known as the Public Employe Relations Act,
20 are amended to read:
21 Section 703. [The] Except as provided in section 802(b), the
22 parties to the collective bargaining process shall not effect or
23 implement a provision in a collective bargaining agreement if
24 the implementation of that provision would be in violation of,
1 or inconsistent with, or in conflict with any statute or
2 statutes enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of
3 Pennsylvania or the provisions of municipal home rule charters.
4 Section 802. (a) Once mediation has commenced, it shall
5 continue for so long as the parties have not reached an
6 agreement. If, however, an agreement has not been reached within
7 twenty days after mediation has commenced or in no event later
8 than one hundred thirty days prior to the "budget submission
9 date," the Bureau of Mediation shall notify the board of this
10 fact. Upon receiving such notice the board may in its discretion
11 appoint a fact-finding panel which panel may consist of either
12 one or three members. If a panel is so designated or selected it
13 shall hold hearings and take oral or written testimony and shall
14 have subpoena power. If during this time the parties have not
15 reached an agreement, the panel shall make findings of fact and
16 recommendations:
17 (1) The findings of fact and recommendations shall be sent
18 by registered mail to the board and to both parties not more
19 than forty days after the Bureau of Mediation has notified the
20 board as provided in the preceding paragraph.
21 (2) Not more than ten days after the findings and
22 recommendations shall have been sent, the parties shall notify
23 the board and each other whether or not they accept the
24 recommendations of the fact-finding panel and if they do not,
25 the panel shall publicize its findings of fact and
26 recommendations.
27 (3) Not less than five days nor more than ten days after the
28 publication of the findings of fact and recommendations, the
29 parties shall again inform the board and each other whether or
30 not they will accept the recommendations of the fact-finding
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1 panel.
2 (4) The Commonwealth shall pay one-half the cost of the
3 fact-finding panel; the remaining one-half of the cost shall be
4 divided equally between the parties. The board shall establish
5 rules and regulations under which panels shall operate,
6 including, but not limited to, compensation for panel members.
7 (b) If the impasse is not resolved ninety days prior to the
8 budget submission date, the court of common pleas of the county
9 in which the dispute is located or the Commonwealth Court in the
10 case of a dispute involving the Commonwealth may upon petition
11 by either party to the court of common pleas, in the county in
12 which the dispute is located, or the Commonwealth Court in case
13 of a dispute involving the Commonwealth submit the dispute to
14 final arbitration. The court shall select one individual to
15 serve as the arbitrator. The arbitrator, acting as a master of
16 the court of common pleas or the Commonwealth Court, shall
17 identify the issues in dispute and direct each of the parties to
18 submit its final offer of settlement within ten days. A copy of
19 the offer shall be served upon the opposing parties. The final
20 offer shall contain a proposal on each of the disputed issues
21 identified by the arbitrator. The arbitrator shall present his
22 opinion in writing within three days of receipt of final offers
23 by both sides to the appropriate court and shall mail or
24 otherwise deliver a true copy thereof to the parties and their
25 representatives and to the board. The arbitrator shall adopt as
26 his opinion the last offer of settlement on each issue which the
27 arbitrator believes to be more reasonable. The arbitrator shall
28 take into consideration and accord substantial weight to the
29 financial ability of the public employer to pay the cost of any
30 increase in wages or fringe benefits. "Financial ability to pay"
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1 shall mean the financial ability of the public employer to pay
2 the cost of any increase in wages or fringe benefits without
3 requiring an increase in the level of taxes existing at the time
4 of the commencement of mediation or binding arbitration.
5 (c) Within two days of receipt of the final recommendation
6 the court of common pleas or the Commonwealth Court shall issue
7 the arbitration order and shall direct the parties to comply
8 with the order as finalized by the arbitrator. The arbitration
9 order shall be final and binding upon both parties. The award of
10 the arbitrator is binding and may not be vacated or modified by
11 a court of this Commonwealth unless it is clearly shown that a
12 party was denied a hearing or that fraud, misconduct, corruption
13 or other irregularity caused the rendition of an unjust,
14 inequitable or unconscionable award.
15 Section 2. Section 1003 of the act is repealed.
16 Section 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
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