Hearing date for union's unfair labor practice (ULP) complaint over agency-specific (supplemental) bargaining may be set soon

An upcoming conference call may yield a hearing date for the Federation’s unfair labor practice complaint over agency-specific (supplemental) issues.

That conference call will be convened by the Public Employment Relations Commission. The Federation and state will hash a number of preliminary issues.

The commission on June 18 determined a cause of action exists. The union alleges the state has violated the law by not agreeing to negotiations on agency-specific issues away from the main General Government bargaining table. When those issues are rolled into the main negotiations, they sometimes get pushed aside as the clock runs out toward the Oct. 1 deadline the state relies on.

The state earlier did agree to agency-specific bargaining for Institutions. The Federation’s Institutions Supplemental Bargaining Team met July 14 to prepare for negotiations.