Source: https://ecode360.com/14942131
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 18:09:08+00:00

Document:
§ 68-2 Right to form and join employee organizations.
§ 68-3 Right of representation.
§ 68-5 Notice where approval of County Legislature is required.
§ 68-7 Determination of representation status.
§ 68-8 Rights accompanying certification or recognition.
§ 68-9 Resolution of disputes during collective negotiations.
§ 68-10 Prohibited acts; penalties; enforcement.
§ 68-11 Judicial review and enforcement.
§ 68-12 Restrictions on managerial and confidential employees.
§ 68-13 Approval of chapter.
Protection of employees making allegations of misconduct — See Ch. 71.
Classification and salary plans — See Ch. 888.
Employee benefits — See Ch. 935.
Civil service rules — See Ch. 1200.
The Suffolk County Legislature hereby finds and declares that it is in the best interests of the citizens of the County and the employees of the Suffolk County government to provide for the effective implementation of the requirements of the Public Employees' Fair Employment Act, as set forth in Article 14 of the Civil Service Law, as amended, by establishing local provisions and procedures with respect to the determination of the representation status of employees' organizations and the resolution of disputes in the course of collective negotiations with such organizations. It is the purpose of the Act and the local provisions and procedures herein established to promote a harmonious and cooperative relationship between the County government and its employees and to protect the public by assuring, at all times, the orderly and uninterrupted operations and functions of County government. With this end in view, this Suffolk County Legislature also creates, as hereinafter provided, a local Public Employment Relations Board.
Employees of the County of Suffolk shall have the right to form, join and participate in, or refrain from forming, joining or participating in, any employee organization of their own choosing.
For the purposes of this chapter, assistant district attorneys and law school graduates employed in titles which promote to assistant district attorney upon admission to the Bar of the State of New York shall be designated managerial employees.
Employees of the County of Suffolk shall have the right to be represented by employee organizations to negotiate collectively with the County in the determination of their terms and conditions of employment and the administration of grievances arising thereunder. The terms "employee organization" and "terms and conditions of employment," as used in this chapter, shall have such meanings as are defined in § 201 of Article 14 of the Civil Service Law, as amended.
The result of the exchange of mutual promises between the County Executive of the County of Suffolk and an employee organization which becomes a binding contract for the period set forth therein, except as to any provisions therein which require approval by a legislative body, which provisions shall become binding when the County Legislature gives its approval.
Any person holding a position by appointment or employment in the service of the County of Suffolk, except that such term shall not include, for the purposes of any provision of this chapter other than § 68-10, persons holding positions by appointment or employment in the organized militia of the state and persons who may reasonably be designated from time to time as managerial or confidential upon application of the County of Suffolk to the Suffolk County Public Employment Relations Board, in accordance with procedures established pursuant to § 68-6 of this chapter, which procedures shall provide that any designations made during a period of unchallenged representation pursuant to § 68-8B of this chapter shall only become effective upon the termination of such period of unchallenged representation. Employees may be designated as managerial only if they are persons who formulate policy or who may reasonably be required on behalf of the County of Suffolk to assist directly in the preparation for and conduct of collective negotiations or to have a major role in the administration of agreements or in personnel administration. Employees may be designated as confidential only if they are persons who assist and act in a confidential capacity to managerial employees described in the second clause above.
Salaries, wages, hours, agency shop fee deduction and other terms and conditions of employment; provided, however, that such term shall not include any benefits provided by or to be provided by a public retirement system, or payments to a fund or insurer to provide an income for retirees, or payment to retirees or their beneficiaries. No such retirement benefits shall be negotiated pursuant to this chapter, and any benefits so negotiated shall be void.
The performance of the mutual obligation of the County of Suffolk and the recognized or certified employee organization to meet at reasonable times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement, or any question arising thereunder, and the execution of a written agreement incorporating any agreement reached if requested by either party, but such obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a concession.
"It is agreed by and between the parties that any provision of this agreement requiring legislative action to permit its implementation by amendment of law or by providing the additional funds therefor shall not become effective until the Suffolk County Legislature has given approval."
Every employee organization submitting such a written agreement to its members for ratification shall publish such notice, shall include such notice in the documents accompanying such submission and shall read it aloud at any membership meeting called to consider such ratification.
Within 60 days after the effective date of this chapter, a copy of this section shall be furnished by the County Comptroller of the County of Suffolk to each County employee. Each County employee employed thereafter shall, upon such employment, be furnished with a copy of the provisions of this section.
Editor's Note: Former § 68-6, Public Employment Relations Board, as amended, was repealed 11-20-2012 by L.L. No. 1-2013.
Define the appropriate employer-employee negotiating unit by taking into account, if it wishes, the recommendation of the County Executive, the County Legislature and any employee organizations. The definition of the unit shall correspond to a community of interest among the employees to be included in the unit which shall be compatible with the joint responsibilities of the County and its employees to serve the interests of the public.
Ascertain the employees' choice of employee organization as their representative in cases where the parties to a dispute have not agreed on the means to ascertain the choice, if any, of the employees in the unit on the basis of dues deduction authorization and other evidences or, if necessary, by conducting a secret ballot election.
The affirmation by such organization that it does not assert the right to strike against any government, to assist or participate in any such strike or to impose an obligation to conduct, assist or participate in such a strike.
To membership dues deduction, upon presentation of dues deduction authorization cards signed by individual employees.
An employee organization certified or recognized pursuant to this chapter shall be entitled to unchallenged representation status until seven months prior to the expiration of a written agreement between the County of Suffolk and said employee organization determining terms and conditions of employment. For the purposes of this subsection, any such agreement for a term covering other than the fiscal year of the County of Suffolk shall be deemed to expire with the fiscal year ending immediately prior to the termination date of such agreement; any such agreement having a term in excess of three years shall be treated as an agreement for a term of three years; and extensions of any such agreement shall not extend the period of unchallenged representation status.
Notwithstanding the provisions of and restrictions of §§ 202 and 209-a of the Civil Service Law, § 93-b of the General Municipal Law and § 201 of the State Finance Law, every employee organization that has been recognized or certified as the exclusive representative of employees within a negotiating unit shall be entitled to negotiate as part of any agreement entered into pursuant to this chapter to have deductions from the wage or salary of employees of such negotiating unit who are not members of said employee organization the amount equivalent to the dues levied by such employee organization, and the Department of Audit and Control of the County of Suffolk shall make such deductions and transmit the sum so deducted to such employee organization; provided, however, that the foregoing provisions of this subsection shall only be applicable in the case of an employee organization which has established and maintained a procedure providing for the refund to any employee demanding the return of any part of an agency shop fee deduction which represents the employee's pro rata share of expenditures by the organization in aid of activities or causes of a political or ideological nature only incidentally related to terms and conditions of employment.
For purposes of this section, an impasse may be deemed to exist if the parties fail to achieve agreement at least 120 days prior to the end of the fiscal year of the County of Suffolk.
The County is hereby empowered to enter into written agreements with recognized or certified employee organizations setting forth procedures to be invoked in the event of disputes which reach an impasse in the course of collective negotiations. Such agreements may include the undertaking by each party to submit unresolved issues to impartial arbitration. In the absence or upon the failure of such procedures, either the County or the employee organization or both may request the Board to render assistance as provided in this section, or the Board may render such assistance on its own motion, as provided in Subsection C of this section or, in regard to officers or members of any organized fire department or police force or police department in the County and detective-investigators employed in the office of a district attorney of the County, as provided in Subsection D of this section.
To assist the parties to effect a voluntary resolution of the dispute, the Board shall appoint a mediator or mediators representative of the public.
If the impasse continues, the Board shall appoint a fact-finding board of not more than three members, each representative of the public, from the list of qualified persons maintained by the Board as provided in § 68-6 hereof, which fact-finding board shall have, in addition to the powers delegated to it by the Board, the power to make public recommendations for the resolution of the dispute.
If the dispute is not resolved at least 80 days prior to the end of the fiscal year of the County of Suffolk or by such other date determined by the Board to be appropriate, the fact-finding board, acting by a majority of its members, shall immediately transmit its findings of fact and recommendations for resolution of the dispute to the County Executive and to the employee organization involved, may thereafter assist the parties to effect a voluntary resolution of the dispute and shall, within five days of such transmission, make public such findings and recommendations.
In the event that the findings of fact and recommendations are made public by a fact-finding board appointed by the Board or established pursuant to the procedures agreed upon by the parties under Subsection B of this section and the impasse continues, the Public Employment Relations Board shall have the power to take whatever steps it deems appropriate to resolve the dispute, including the making of recommendations after giving due consideration to the findings of fact and recommendations of the department as may be established by action of the County Legislature.
Thereafter, the legislative body shall take such action as it deems to be in the public interest, including the interest of the public employees involved.
To assist the parties to effect a voluntary resolution of the dispute, the Board shall appoint a mediator from a list of qualified persons maintained by the Board.
If the mediator is unable to effect settlement of the controversy within 15 days after his appointment, either party may petition the Board to refer the dispute to a public arbitration panel.
Upon petition of either party, the Board shall refer the dispute to a public arbitration panel as herein provided.
The public arbitration panel shall consist of one member appointed by the County Executive, one member appointed by the employee organization and one public member appointed jointly by the County and employee organization who shall be selected within 10 days after receipt by the Board of a petition for creation of the arbitration panel. If either party fails to designate its member to the public arbitration panel, the Board shall promptly, upon receipt of a request by either party, designate a member associated in interest with the County or employee organization he is to represent. Each of the respective parties is to bear the cost of its member appointed or designated to the arbitration panel, and each of the respective parties is to share equally the cost of the public member appointed jointly. If, within seven days after the mailing date, the parties are unable to agree upon the one public member, the Board shall submit to the parties a list of qualified, disinterested persons for the selection of the public member. Each party shall alternately strike from the list one of the names, with the order of striking determined by lot, until the remaining one person shall be designated as public member. This process shall be completed within five days of receipt of this list. The parties shall notify the Board of the designated public member. The public member shall be chosen as Chairman.
The public arbitration panel shall hold hearings on all matters related to the dispute. The parties may be heard either in person, by counsel or by other representatives, as they may respectively designate. The parties may present, either orally or in writing, or both, statements of fact, supporting witnesses and other evidence and argument of their respective positions with respect to each case. The panel shall have authority to require the production of such additional evidence, either oral or written, as it may desire from the parties and shall provide at the request of either party that a full and complete record be kept of any such hearings, the cost of such record to be shared equally by the parties.
All matters presented to the public arbitration panel for its determination shall be decided by a majority vote of the members of the panel. The panel, prior to a vote on any issue in dispute before it, shall, upon the joint request of its two members representing the County of Suffolk and the employee organization respectively, refer the issues back to the parties for further negotiations.
Comparison of the wages, hours and conditions of employment of the employees involved in the arbitration proceeding with the wages, hours and conditions of employment of other employees performing similar services or requiring similar skills under similar working conditions and with other employees generally in public and private employment in comparable communities.
The interests and welfare of the public and the financial ability of the County to pay.
Comparison of peculiarities in regard to other trades or professions, including, specifically, hazards of employment; physical qualifications; educational qualifications; mental qualifications; and job training and skills.
The terms of collective agreements negotiated between the parties in the past providing for compensation and fringe benefits, including but not limited to the provisions for salary, insurance and retirement benefits, medical and hospitalization benefits, paid time off and job security.
The determination of the public arbitration panel shall be final and binding upon the parties for the period prescribed by the panel, but in no event shall such period exceed two years from the termination date of any previous collective bargaining agreement or, if there is no previous collective bargaining agreement, then for a period not to exceed two years from the date of determination by the panel. Such determination shall not be subject to the approval of the County legislative body or other municipal authority.
The determination of the public arbitration panel shall be subject to review by a court of competent jurisdiction in the manner prescribed by law.
The provisions of this section shall continue from July 1, 1989, subject to the provisions of Civil Service Law § 209, Subdivision 4(d).
No employee of the County of Suffolk or employee organization shall engage in a strike, and no employee of the County of Suffolk or employee organization shall cause, instigate, encourage or condone a strike.
Violations and penalties; presumption; prohibition against consent to strike; determination; notice; probation; payroll deductions; objections and restoration.
Violations and penalties. A County employee shall violate this section by engaging in a strike or violating Subsection B(3) and shall be liable as provided in this subsection pursuant to the procedures contained herein. In addition, any County employee who violates Subsection A of this section may be subject to removal or other disciplinary action provided by law for misconduct.
Presumption. For purposes of this section, an employee who is absent from work without permission or who abstains wholly or in part from the full performance of his duties in his normal manner without permission, on the date or dates when a strike occurs, shall be presumed to have engaged in such strike on such date or dates.
Prohibition against consent to strike. No person exercising on behalf of the County of Suffolk any authority, supervision or direction over any County employee shall have the power to authorize, approve, condone or consent to a strike, or the engaging in a strike, by one or more County employees; and such person shall not authorize, approve, condone or consent to such strike or engagement.
Determination. In the event that it appears that a violation of this section may have occurred, the County Executive shall, on the basis of such investigation and affidavits as he may deem appropriate, determine whether or not such violation has occurred and the date or dates of such violation. If the County Executive determines that such violation has occurred, he shall further determine, on the basis of such further investigation and affidavits as he may deem appropriate, the names of the employees who committed such violation and the date or dates thereof. Such determination shall not be deemed to be final until the completion of the procedures provided for in this subsection.
Notice. The County Executive shall forthwith notify each employee that he has been found to have committed such violation, the date or dates thereof and of his right to object to such determination pursuant to Subsection B(8); and he shall also notify the County Comptroller of the names of all such employees and of the total number of days, or part thereof, on which it has been determined that such violation occurred. Notice to each employee shall be by personal service or by certified mail to his last address filed by him with the County of Suffolk.
Probation. Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of law, any County employee who has been determined to have violated this subsection shall be on probation for a term of one year following such determination, during which period he shall serve without tenure; provided, however, that the effect of probation hereunder with regard to teachers and others subject to the Education Law shall not exceed or differ from the effect of probation hereunder with regard to other County employees.
Payroll deductions. Not earlier than 30 days nor later than 90 days following the date of such determination, the County Comptroller of the County shall deduct from the compensation of each such employee an amount equal to twice his daily rate of pay for each day or part thereof on which it was determined that he had violated this subsection, such rate of pay to be computed as of the time of such violation. In computing such deduction, credit shall be allowed for amounts already withheld from such employee's compensation on account of his absence from work or other withholding of services on such day or days. In computing the aforesaid thirty- to ninety-day period of time following the determination of a violation pursuant to Subsection B(4) and where the employee's annual compensation is paid over a period of time which is less than 52 weeks, that period of time between the last day of the last payroll period of the employment term in which the violation occurred and the first day of the first payroll period of the next succeeding employment term shall be disregarded and not counted.
Objections and restoration. Any employee determined to have violated this subsection may object to such determination by filing with the County Executive [within 20 days of the date on which notice was served or mailed to him pursuant to Subsection B(5)] his sworn affidavit, supported by available documentary proof, containing a short and plain statement of the facts upon which he relies to show that such determination was incorrect. Such affidavit shall be subject to the penalties of perjury. If the County Executive shall determine that the affidavit and supporting proof establish that the employee did not violate this subsection, he shall sustain the objection. If the County Executive shall determine that the affidavit and supporting proof fail to establish that the employee did not violate this subsection, he shall dismiss the objection and so notify the employee. If the County Executive shall determine that the affidavit and supporting proof raise a question of fact which, if resolved in favor of the employee, would establish that the employee did not violate this subsection, he shall appoint a hearing officer to determine whether in fact the employee did violate this subsection after a hearing at which such employee shall bear the burden of proof. If the hearing officer shall determine that the employee failed to establish that he did not violate this subsection, the County Executive shall so notify the employee. If the County Executive sustains an objection or the hearing officer determines on a preponderance of the evidence that such employee did not violate this subsection, the County Executive shall forthwith restore to the employee the tenure suspended pursuant to Subsection B(6) and notify the County Comptroller, who shall thereupon cease all further deductions and refund any deductions previously made pursuant to this subsection. The determinations provided in this subsection shall be reviewable pursuant to Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules.
An employee organization which is determined by the Public Employment Relations Board of Suffolk County to have violated the provisions of Subsection A of this section shall, in accordance with the provisions of this section, lose the rights granted pursuant to the provisions of § 68-8A(2) and C of this chapter.
In the event that it appears that a violation of Subsection A of this section may have occurred, it shall be the duty of the County Executive forthwith to so notify the Public Employment Relations Board of Suffolk County and the County Attorney and to provide the Board and the County Attorney with such facilities, assistance and data as will enable the Board and the County Attorney to carry out their duties under this section.
In the event that it appears that a violation of Subsection A of this section may have occurred, the County Attorney, or the Public Employment Relations Board of Suffolk County on its own motion, shall forthwith institute proceedings before the Public Employment Relations Board of Suffolk County to determine whether such employee organization has violated the provisions of Subsection A of this section.
Proceedings against an employee organization under this section shall be commenced by service upon it of a written notice, together with a copy of the charges. A copy of such notice and charges shall also be served, for their information, upon the appropriate County officials who recognize such employee organization and grant to it the rights accompanying such recognition. The employee organization shall have eight days within which to serve its written answer to such charges. The hearing of the Public Employment Relations Board of Suffolk County shall be held promptly thereafter, and at such hearing the parties shall be permitted to be represented by counsel and to summon witnesses in their behalf. Compliance with the technical rules of evidence shall not be required.
In determining whether an employee organization has violated Subsection A of this section, the Board shall consider whether the employee organization called the strike or tried to prevent it and whether the employee organization made or was making good faith efforts to terminate the strike.
If the Board determines that an employee organization has violated the provisions of Subsection A of this section, the Board shall order forfeiture of the rights granted pursuant to the provisions of § 68-8A(2) and C of this chapter for such specified period of time as the Board shall determine or, in the discretion of the Board, for an indefinite period of time subject to restoration upon application, with notice to all interested parties, supported by proof of good faith compliance with the requirements of Subsection A of this section since the date of such violation, such proof to include, for example, the successful negotiation, without a violation of Subsection A of this section, of a contract covering the employees in the unit affected by such violation; provided, however, that where a fine imposed on an employee organization pursuant to Subdivision 2 of § 751 of the Judiciary Law remains wholly or partly unpaid, after the exhaustion of the cash and securities of the employee organization, the Board shall direct that, notwithstanding such forfeiture, such membership dues deduction shall be continued to the extent necessary to pay such fine, and the County shall transmit such moneys to the court. In fixing the duration of the forfeiture, the Board shall consider all the relevant facts and circumstances, including but not limited to the extent of any willful defiance of Subsection A of this section; the impact of the strike on the public health, safety and welfare of the community; and the financial resources of the employee organization; and the Board may consider the refusal of the employee organization or the County of Suffolk or the representative thereof to submit to the mediation and fact-finding procedures provided in § 68-9 of this chapter and whether, if so alleged by the employee organization, the County of Suffolk or its representatives engaged in such acts of extreme provocation as to detract from the responsibility of the employee organization for the strike. In determining the financial resources of the employee organization, the Board shall consider both the income and assets of such employee organization. In the event that membership dues are collected by the County of Suffolk as provided in § 68-8A(2) of this chapter, the books and records of the County of Suffolk shall be prima facie evidence of the amount so collected.
An employee organization whose rights granted pursuant to the provisions of § 68-8A(2) and C of this chapter have been ordered forfeited pursuant to this section may be granted such rights after the termination of such forfeiture only after complying with the provisions of § 68-7C(2) of this chapter.
No compensation shall be paid by the County of Suffolk to a County employee with respect to any day or part thereof when such employee is engaged in a strike against the County of Suffolk. The County Comptroller of the County of Suffolk shall withhold such compensation upon receipt of the notice provided by Subdivision 2(e) of § 210 of the Civil Service Law. Notwithstanding the failure to have received such notice, no County employee or officer having knowledge that such employee has so engaged in such a strike shall deliver or cause to be delivered to such employee any cash, check or payment which, in whole or in part, represents such compensation.
The circumstances surrounding the commencement of the strike.
The efforts used to terminate the strike.
The names of those County employees whom the County Executive has reason to believe were responsible for causing, instigating or encouraging the strike.
Related to the varying degrees of individual responsibility, the sanctions imposed or proceedings pending against each such individual County employee.
Orders of the Board made pursuant to this chapter shall be deemed to be final against all parties to its proceedings and persons who have had an opportunity to be parties to its proceedings unless reversed or modified in proceedings for enforcement or judicial review as hereinafter provided. Such orders shall be reviewable under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules upon petition filed by an aggrieved party within 30 days after service by registered or certified mail of a copy of such order upon such party and shall be enforceable in a special proceeding, upon petition of such Board, by the Supreme Court.
Orders of the Board or its agents made pursuant to § 68-7A and B of this chapter shall be reviewable only in a proceeding brought under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules to review an order of the Board made pursuant to § 68-7C of this chapter.
If a proceeding by the Board for enforcement of its order is instituted prior to the expiration of the period within which a party may seek judicial review of such order, the respondent may raise in his answer the questions authorized to be raised by § 7803 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules, and thereafter the proceedings shall be governed by the provisions of Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules that are not inconsistent herewith, except that if an issue specified in Question 4 of § 7803 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules is raised, the proceeding shall be transferred for disposition to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. Where an issue specified in Question 4 of § 7803 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules is raised, either in a proceeding to enforce or review an order of the Board, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, upon completion of proceedings before it, shall remit a copy of its judgment or order to the court in which the proceeding was commenced, which court shall have the power to compel compliance with such judgment or order.
In a proceeding to enforce or review an order of the Board, the court shall have power to grant such temporary relief or restraining order as it deems just and proper and to make and enter a judgment or decree enforcing, modifying and enforcing as so modified, or setting aside, in whole or in part, the order of the Board.
The failure to perform the duties required by § 68-10B and C of this chapter and § 211 of the Civil Service Law shall be reviewable in a proceeding under Article 78 of the Civil Practice Law and Rules by any taxpayer, as defined in § 102 of the Civil Service Law. Any such taxpayer shall also have standing to institute an action described in Subdivisions 1 and 2 of § 102 of the Civil Service Law.
No managerial or confidential employee, as determined pursuant to § 68-2 of this chapter, shall hold office in or be a member of any employee organization which is or seeks to become, pursuant to this chapter, the certified or recognized representative of the public employees employed by the County of Suffolk.
The provisions and procedures established herein shall be submitted for approval to the New York State Public Employment Relations Board, as provided in § 212 of the Civil Service Law, as added by Chapter 392 of the Laws of 1967.

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