HOUSE BILL No. 5858

 

 

September 13, 2016, Introduced by Rep. Glenn and referred to the Committee on Commerce and Trade.

 

     A bill to amend 1947 PA 336, entitled

 

"An act to prohibit strikes by certain public employees; to provide

review from disciplinary action with respect thereto; to provide

for the mediation of grievances and the holding of elections; to

declare and protect the rights and privileges of public employees;

to require certain provisions in collective bargaining agreements;

to prescribe means of enforcement and penalties for the violation

of the provisions of this act; and to make appropriations,"

 

by amending sections 1 and 6 (MCL 423.201 and 423.206), section 1

 

as amended by 2014 PA 414 and section 6 as amended by 2016 PA 194.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 1. (1) As used in this act:

 

     (a) "Bargaining representative" means a labor organization

 

recognized by an employer or certified by the commission as the

 

sole and exclusive bargaining representative of certain employees

 

of the employer.


     (b) "Commission" means the employment relations commission

 

created in section 3 of 1939 PA 176, MCL 423.3.

 

     (c) "Intermediate school district" means that term as defined

 

in section 4 of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.4.

 

     (d) "Lockout" means the temporary withholding of work from a

 

group of employees by shutting down the operation of the employer

 

to bring pressure upon the affected employees or the bargaining

 

representative, or both, to accept the employer's terms of

 

settlement of a labor dispute.

 

     (e) "Public employee" means an individual holding a position

 

by appointment or employment in the government of this state, in

 

the government of 1 or more of the political subdivisions of this

 

state, in the public school service, in a public or special

 

district, in the service of an authority, commission, or board, or

 

in any other branch of the public service, subject to the following

 

exceptions:

 

     (i) An individual employed by a private organization or entity

 

who provides services under a time-limited contract with this state

 

or a political subdivision of this state or who receives a direct

 

or indirect government subsidy in his or her private employment is

 

not an employee of this state or that political subdivision, and is

 

not a public employee. This provision shall not be superseded by

 

any interlocal agreement, memorandum of understanding, memorandum

 

of commitment, or other document similar to these.

 

     (ii) If, by April 9, 2000, a public school employer that is

 

the chief executive officer serving in a school district of the

 

first class under part 5A of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451,


MCL 380.371 to 380.376, issues an order determining that it is in

 

the best interests of the school district, then a public school

 

administrator employed by that school district is not a public

 

employee for purposes of this act. The exception under this

 

subparagraph applies to public school administrators employed by

 

that school district after the date of the order described in this

 

subparagraph whether or not the chief executive officer remains in

 

place in the school district. This exception does not prohibit the

 

chief executive officer or board of a school district of the first

 

class or its designee from having informal meetings with public

 

school administrators to discuss wages and working conditions.

 

     (ii) (iii) An individual serving as a graduate student

 

research assistant or in an equivalent position, a student

 

participating in intercollegiate athletics on behalf of a public

 

university in this state, or any individual whose position does not

 

have sufficient indicia of an employer-employee relationship using

 

the 20-factor test announced by the internal revenue service of the

 

United States department of treasury in revenue ruling 87-41, 1987-

 

1 C.B. 296 is not a public employee entitled to representation or

 

collective bargaining rights under this act.

 

     (f) "Public school academy" means a public school academy or

 

strict discipline academy organized under the revised school code,

 

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.1 to 380.1852.

 

     (g) "Public school administrator" means a superintendent,

 

assistant superintendent, chief business official, principal, or

 

assistant principal employed by a school district, intermediate

 

school district, or public school academy.


     (h) "Public school employer" means a public employer that is

 

the board of a school district, intermediate school district, or

 

public school academy; is the chief executive officer of a school

 

district in which a school reform board is in place under part 5A

 

of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.371 to 380.376; or

 

is the governing board of a joint endeavor or consortium consisting

 

of any combination of school districts, intermediate school

 

districts, or public school academies.

 

     (i) "School district" means that term as defined in section 6

 

of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380.6, or a local act

 

school district as defined in section 5 of the revised school code,

 

1976 PA 451, MCL 380.5.

 

     (j) "Strike" means the concerted failure to report for duty,

 

the willful absence from one's position, the stoppage of work, or

 

the abstinence in whole or in part from the full, faithful, and

 

proper performance of the duties of employment. for the purpose of

 

inducing, influencing, or coercing a change in employment

 

conditions, compensation, or the rights, privileges, or obligations

 

of employment. For employees of a public school employer, strike

 

also includes an action described in this subdivision that is taken

 

for the purpose of protesting or responding to an act alleged or

 

determined to be an unfair labor practice committed by the public

 

school employer.

 

     (2) This act does not limit, impair, or affect the right of a

 

public employee to the expression or communication of a view,

 

grievance, complaint, or opinion on any matter related to the

 

conditions or compensation of public employment or their betterment


as long as the expression or communication does not interfere with

 

the full, faithful, and proper performance of the duties of

 

employment.

 

     Sec. 6. (1) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, a

 

public employee who, by concerted action with others and without

 

the lawful approval of his or her superior, willfully absents

 

himself or herself from his or her position, or abstains in whole

 

or in part from the full, faithful and proper performance of his or

 

her duties for the purpose of inducing, influencing or coercing a

 

change in employment conditions, compensation, or the rights,

 

privileges, or obligations of employment, or a public employee

 

employed by a public school employer who engages in an action

 

described in this subsection for the purpose of protesting or

 

responding to an act alleged or determined to be an unfair labor

 

practice committed by the public school employer, shall be

 

considered to be on strike.

 

     (2) Before a public employer may discipline or discharge a

 

public employee for engaging in a strike, the public employee, upon

 

request, is entitled to a determination under this section as to

 

whether he or she violated this act. The request shall be filed in

 

writing, with the officer or body having power to remove or

 

discipline the employee, within 10 days after regular compensation

 

of the employee has ceased or other discipline has been imposed. If

 

a request is filed, the officer or body, within 5 days after

 

receipt of the request, shall commence a proceeding for the

 

determination of whether the public employee has violated this act.

 

The proceedings shall be held in accordance with the law and


regulations appropriate to a proceeding to remove the public

 

employee and shall be held without unnecessary delay. The decision

 

of the officer or body shall be made within 2 days after the

 

conclusion of the proceeding. If the employee involved is found to

 

have violated this act and his or her employment is terminated or

 

other discipline is imposed, the employee has the right of review

 

to the circuit court having jurisdiction of the parties, within 30

 

days from the date of the decision, for a determination as to

 

whether the decision is supported by competent, material, and

 

substantial evidence on the whole record. A public employer may

 

consolidate employee hearings under this subsection unless the

 

employee demonstrates manifest injustice from the consolidation.

 

This subsection does not apply to a penalty imposed under section

 

2a.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect 90 days

 

after the date it is enacted into law.