Source: http://www.wvlegislature.gov/bill_status/bills_text.cfm?billdoc=sb5%20intr.htm&yr=2011&sesstype=RS&i=5
Timestamp: 2018-03-23 13:33:24
Document Index: 401313015

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A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new article, designated §29-6A-1, §29-6A-2, §29-6A-3, §29-6A-4, §29-6A-5, §29-6A-6, §29-6A-7, §29-6A-8, §29-6A-9, §29-6A-10, §29-6A-11, §29-6A-12, §29-6A-13, §29-6A-14, §29-6A-15, §29-6A-16, §29-6A-17, §29-6A-18, §29-6A-19, §29-6A-20, §29-6A-21, §29-6A-22, §29-6A-23, §29-6A-24, §29-6A-25 and §29-6A-26, all relating to promoting orderly and constructive employment relations between the state and its employees; increasing the efficiency of the state; ensuring the health and safety of the citizens of this state; requiring the state to recognize, negotiate and bargain with employee organizations representing state employees and to enter into written agreements evidencing the result of bargaining; and encouraging labor peace through the establishment of standards and procedures which protect the rights of the state, the state’s employees and the citizens of this state.
That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended be adding thereto a new article, designated §29-6A-1, §29-6A-2, §29-6A-3, §29-6A-4, §29-6A-5, §29-6A-6, §29-6A-7, §29-6A-8, §29-6A-9, §29-6A-10, §29-6A-11, §29-6A-12, §29-6A-13, §29-6A-14, §29-6A-15, §29-6A-16, §29-6A-17, §29-6A-18, §29-6A-19, §29-6A-20, §29-6A-21, §29-6A-22, §29-6A-23, §29-6A-24, §29-6A-25 and §29-6A-26, all to read as follows:
(1) "Grievance arbitration" which means arbitration of disputes arising over the interpretation or application of a collective bargaining agreement or any law rule or regulation affecting the working conditions of state employees; and
The board shall consist of three members, each of whom shall be appointed by the Governor, and one of whom shall be appointed by the Governor from a list of at least three individuals provided by the largest labor organization in the state. All members shall be citizens of the state, and shall be appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members shall be appointed for terms of four years, except that one of the original terms shall be for a term of four years, another one of the original terms shall be for a term of three years and the remaining original term shall be for a term of two years.
No person shall be eligible for appointment to membership on the board who is the holder of any public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state or any of its political subdivisions, or an appointee or employee of the board. Not more than two members of the board shall be members of the same political party.
The Governor shall appoint the three members of the board within sixty days of the effective date of this article. The original terms of office of members begin on July 1, 2011.
The Governor shall appoint a member by and with the advice and consent of the Senate to fill any vacancy among the members of the board. The member appointed to fill the vacancy shall serve for the unexpired term of the vacating member.
All members of the board shall be eligible for reappointment.
Before exercising any authority or performing any duties as a member of the board, each member shall qualify by taking and subscribing to the oath of office prescribed by section five, article IV of the state Constitution.
No member of the board may be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty or gross immorality and only in the manner prescribed by law for the removal of state elective officers.
The board shall hold at least four meetings in every fiscal year beginning July 1 and ending the following June 30. One meeting, known as the annual meeting, shall be held in July, or as soon thereafter as practicable, in the year 2011 and in July of each subsequent year. Annual meetings, as well as the three additional required meetings in each fiscal year, shall be held on dates and at places as the board may prescribe: In addition to the statutorily required meetings, the board may, upon its own resolution or at the call of the chairperson of the board, meet at other times.
Of the three appointed members, two members of the board shall constitute a quorum provided that if there are two vacancies on the board, the remaining member shall be considered as the chair and shall be authorized to conduct the business of the board. A majority vote is necessary to pass upon matters before the board. A vacancy in the board does not impair the authority of the remaining members to exercise all the powers of the board consistent with the existence of a quorum. The Governor may appoint an acting member of the board during the temporary absence from the state or during the illness of any regular member. An acting member, during his or her term of service, shall have the same powers and duties as the regular member and shall meet the same requirements for selection.
The members of the board shall be paid $300 per diem, or such other amount as specified by the Legislature in appropriations, for actual time spent in the performance of duties under this article, and shall be reimbursed for actual and necessary expenses incident to the performance of their duties. The foregoing per diem and reimbursement for actual and necessary expenses shall be paid from appropriations made by the Legislature to the board.
At its first annual meeting in July, or as soon thereafter as practicable, in the year 2011, and annually thereafter, the board shall elect a chairperson and other officers from its membership as the board may deem necessary or desirable. The chairperson shall serve for a one-year term commencing on July 1, following the annual meeting and ending on June 30 the following year.
The board shall employ an executive officer and other professional, administrative, clerical and other employees, including, but not limited to, mediators and hearing officers, as may be necessary to assist the board in the performance of its duties and responsibilities and consistent with legislative appropriations. The board shall be represented in any judicial proceedings pursuant to this article by the Attorney General of the State of West Virginia or his or her designee. The board shall prescribe the duties and fix the compensation and emoluments of all employees. Employees of the board shall serve under the direction and control of the board or its designated representatives. The board shall provide suitable offices for the executive officer and his or her staff in or near the state Capitol Complex in Charleston, West Virginia.
(a) For the purposes of collective bargaining, all of the eligible employees of a specific executive department or independent agency as defined in Article 5F-1 of the West Virginia Code shall constitute an appropriate unit. Eligible employees of the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Auditor, Treasurer, Agriculture and Parkways Authority shall constitute separate appropriate units. Nothing shall prohibit multiunit bargaining between state employers and the exclusive representative or representatives of state employees except that all of the eligible uniformed personnel of the West Virginia State Police shall constitute their own appropriate unit. The board shall resolve all questions of eligibility of an employee to be included in an appropriate unit that are not resolved by a state employer and employee organization through agreement or through operation of agreed upon procedures.
(c)Where a collective bargaining agreement is terminated, or continues in effect beyond its scheduled expiration date pending the negotiation of a successor agreement or the resolution of an impasse, the employer shall continue to honor and abide by any dues deduction or representation fee clause contained therein until a new agreement is reached including dues deduction or a representation fee clause.
(c)All existing rules adopted by the employer, including civil service and other personnel regulations, which are not contrary to this article or a collective bargaining agreement, shall remain applicable. The duty to bargain collectively shall include an obligation to negotiate over any matter with respect to wages, hours and other conditions of employment, not specifically provided in any other law or not specifically in violation of the provisions of any law. If any other law pertains, in part, to a matter affecting the wages, hours and other conditions of employment, the other law shall not be construed as limiting the duty to bargain collectively and to enter into collective bargaining agreements containing clauses which either supplement, implement or relate to the effect of provisions in other laws. If there is a conflict between the collective bargaining agreement and any rules, the terms of the agreement shall prevail. Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, matters described in article five, chapter five, section five, article two, chapter fifteen, sections ten, twenty-four and twenty-six, article six, chapter twenty-nine of this code shall be substantively subject to bargaining at the request of either party.
(d) As an exception to articles two and three of chapter six-c and section six and twenty-one, article two, chapter fifteen of this code, every collective bargaining agreement shall contain a grievance procedure culminating in final and binding arbitration by a neutral third party which shall be the exclusive grievance and disciplinary appeals procedure for employees covered by the agreement. The decision of an arbitrator shall be valid and enforceable when entered into in accordance with the provisions of this article. The grievance procedure may not include matters relating to the classification of any position.
(c)In reaching a decision regarding resolution of outstanding disputes, the arbitrator shall take into consideration, in addition to any other relevant factors, the following:
(c)Where the board finds that any person or entity charged in the complaint has engaged in or is engaging in prohibited practices charged in the complaint, the board shall:
Every employee organization shall keep an adequate record of its financial transactions and shall make available annually to the employees who are members of the organization, within ninety days after the end of its fiscal year, a detailed written financial report in the form of a balance sheet and an operating statement, certified as to accuracy by a certified public accountant. In the event of failure of compliance with this section, any employee within a bargaining unit exclusively represented by the organization may petition the state Labor Relations Board for an order compelling compliance. The board may enforce its order by instituting suit in the circuit court having jurisdiction in this matter. An employee organization seeking to become an exclusive representative must file with the board a copy of its most recent financial report and Constitution and by-laws.
This article is effective July 1, 2011.