2019 -- H 5440

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LC000909

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2019

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS

     Introduced By: Representatives Price, Roberts, Filippi, and Quattrocchi

     Date Introduced: February 14, 2019

     Referred To: House Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 28-7-14 of the General Laws in Chapter 28-7 entitled "Labor

Relations Act" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     28-7-14. Exclusive representation of employees. Exclusive representation and

collective bargaining.

     (a) Representatives designated or selected for the purposes of collective bargaining by the

majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for those purposes, or by the majority of the

employees voting in an election conducted pursuant to §§ 28-7-15 -- 28-7-19, shall be the

exclusive representatives of all the employees in the appropriate unit for the purposes of

collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions

of employment; provided, that employees, directly or through representatives, shall have the right

at any time to present grievances to their employer.

     (b) Every proposed new collective bargaining agreement, and any amendments to new or

existing collective bargaining agreements, shall be conspicuously posted on the board's website

prior to execution.

     SECTION 2. Section 45-5-22 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-5 entitled "Councils and

Governing Bodies" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     45-5-22. Collective bargaining fiscal impact statements.

     (a) Prior to executing any collective bargaining agreement between a city or town and

representatives of police personnel, firefighters, and/or other municipal employees, (other than

teachers and/or other school employees), the city or town council shall prepare or cause to be

prepared a collective bargaining fiscal impact statement. These statements shall set forth, in dollar

amounts, estimates of the fiscal impact, during the term of the proposed agreement. No comment

or opinion relative to the merits of the terms of the contract shall be included, except that

technical or mechanical errors or defects may be noted.

     (b) The fiscal impact statement and the awarded proposed contract shall be publicized

and shall be made immediately available upon prior to ratification of the contract.

     SECTION 3. Section 45-9-9 of the General Laws in Chapter 45-9 entitled "Budget

Commissions" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     45-9-9. Collective bargaining agreements.

     (a) Notwithstanding chapter 7 of title 28 or any other general or special law or any charter

or local ordinance to the contrary, new collective bargaining agreements, and any amendments, to

new or existing collective bargaining agreements, (collectively, "collective bargaining

agreements") entered into by the city, town, or fire district or the school department, shall be

subject to the approval of the fiscal overseer, budget commission, or receiver if the fiscal

overseer, budget commission, or receiver is in effect at the time. No collective bargaining

agreement shall be approved under this section unless the fiscal overseer, budget commission, or

receiver has participated in the negotiation of the collective bargaining agreement and provides

written certification to the director of revenue that after an evaluation of all pertinent financial

information reasonably available, the city's, town's, or fire district's financial resources and

revenues are, and will continue to be, adequate to support such collective bargaining agreement

without a detrimental impact on the provision of municipal or fire district services. A decision, by

the fiscal overseer, budget commission, or receiver, to disapprove of a collective bargaining

agreement under this section shall be made in a report to the parties; provided, however, that the

report shall specify the disapproved portions of the agreement and the supporting reasons for the

disapproval. This section shall not be construed to authorize a fiscal overseer, a budget

commission, or a receiver under this chapter to reject or alter any existing collective bargaining

agreement, unless by agreement, during the term of such collective bargaining agreement.

     (b) Every proposed new collective bargaining agreement, and any amendments to new or

existing collective bargaining agreements, shall be conspicuously posted on the municipality's

website prior to execution.

     SECTION 4. 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

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     This act would require that collective bargaining agreements would be posted on

government websites prior to execution.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC000909

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