2014 -- S 2108

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LC003379

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - FIREFIGHTERS' ARBITRATION -

OBLIGATION TO BARGAIN

     Introduced By: Senators Satchell, Ruggerio, Pearson, McCaffrey, and Goodwin

     Date Introduced: January 21, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 28-9.1-6 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-9.1 entitled

"Firefighters' Arbitration" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     28-9.1-6. Obligation to bargain. -- It shall be the obligation of the city or town, acting

through its corporate authorities, to meet and confer in good faith with the representative or

representatives of the bargaining agent within ten (10) days after receipt of written notice from

the bargaining agent of the request for a meeting for collective bargaining purposes. This

obligation shall include the duty to cause any agreement resulting from the negotiations to be

reduced to a written contract, provided that no contract shall exceed the term of one year, unless a

longer period is agreed upon in writing by the corporate authorities and the bargaining agents, but

in no event shall the contract exceed the term of three (3) years unless a budget commission or a

receiver has been appointed for a municipality pursuant to Chapter 45-9chapter 9 of title 45, in

which case or if a municipality has a locally administered pension plan in "critical status" and is

required to submit a funding improvement plan pursuant to § 45-65-6(2), in either of which case

the contract shall not exceed the term of five (5) years. An unfair labor practice charge may be

complained of by either the employer's representative or the bargaining agent to the state labor

relations board which shall deal with the complaint in the manner provided in chapter 7 of this

title.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - FIREFIGHTERS' ARBITRATION -

OBLIGATION TO BARGAIN

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     This act would redefine the circumstances in which a municipal firefighters' contract may

exceed a term of three (3) years.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC003379

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