AN ACT relating to labor management negotiations.
     Create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to establish definitions for purposes of collective bargaining, including definitions such as public employer, public employee, public employee organization, arbitration; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to create a 5-member, full-time State Employment Relations Board appointed by the Governor, subject to House and Senate confirmation, to serve 4 year terms, to reimburse members for necessary expenses, to authorize the board to hire staff, to be attached to the Labor Cabinet, and to perform various functions to facilitate the collective bargaining process; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to authorize eligible public employees to form, join, assist, participate, or refuse to participate in employee organizations; to be represented by an employee organization; and to bargain collectively, excluding the right to strike; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to require a public employer to bargain with the exclusive bargaining representative; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to establish mechanism for a public employee organization to become an exclusive bargaining representative either through an election or filing a request with the board for recognition; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to authorize the board to make final designation of a bargaining unit; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to enumerate and prohibit unfair labor practices and to prohibit picketing unless notice is given to the public employer; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to require the board to investigate and hold hearings, if necessary, to resolve allegations of unfair labor practices and authorize the board to take affirmative action with regard to unfair labor practices including ordering reinstatement and backpay, suspension from employment, and imposition of fines, and provide that the county in which the alleged unfair labor practice occurred shall determine the appropriate Circuit Court for appeals; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to prohibit strikes or instigation of strikes and impose penalties for such activity; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to provide for the payment of fair share payments not to exceed 85% of dues paid by members of a public employee organization in the same bargaining unit; prescribe procedures for fair share rebates, and to require all public employee organizations seeking designation as a representative of public employees to file the same reports required by the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959, as amended along with other reports deemed necessary with the board; create a new section of KRS Chapter 336 to set forth provisions for an exclusive bargaining representative of state employees and employees of the postsecondary education system, certified prior to Jan. 1, 2002, to request to negotiate with the Commonwealth; limit the economic terms of the agreement to the limitations of established appropriations and to provide that the agreement expires on June 30, 2004, with subsequent agreements not being for more than 4 years and ending on the June 30 of the first even-numbered year following the year the Governor is elected; amend various sections of KRS Chapter 78 to conform; and repeal KRS Chapter 345 and sections of KRS Chapter 78 relating to collective bargaining for police officers and firefighters to conform.

     Feb 17-introduced in House
     Feb 18-to Labor and Industry (H)
     Mar 3-posted in committee