Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2747 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 04/22/2021

                     
 
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ENGROSSED SENATE AMENDMENT 
TO 
ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 2747 	By: Ford of the House 
 
  and 
 
  Haste of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to cities and towns; amending 11 O.S. 
2011, Section 51-103, which relates to collective 
bargaining; eliminating creation of Public Employees 
Relations Board; eliminating petition, hearing and 
election processes; directing a municipal employer to 
recognize association as the exclusive bargaining 
agent for the firefighters or police officers; 
determining association by a majorit y vote; 
establishing election procedures; and providing an 
effective date. 
 
 
 
 
AMENDMENT NO. 1. Page 1, strike the title, enacting clause and 
entire bill and insert 
 
 
”An Act relating to cities and towns; amending 11 
O.S. 2011, Section 51 -103, which relates to 
collective bargaining; eliminating petition, hearing 
and election processes; directing a municipal 
employer to recognize a bargaining agent as the 
exclusive bargaining agent for the firefighters or 
police officers; determining bargaining agent by 
certain procedure; establishing election procedures; 
prohibiting election within certain time period; and 
providing an effective date. 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:   
 
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SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     11 O.S. 2011, Secti on 51-103, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 51-103.  A.  Firefighters and police officers in any 
municipality shall have the separate right to bargain collectively 
with their municipality and to be represented by a bargaining agent 
in such collective bargaining with respect to wages, salaries, 
hours, rates of pay, grievances, working conditions and all other 
terms and conditions of employment. 
B.  Whenever, conformable to regulations that may be prescribed 
by the Public Employees Relations Board, here in created, a petition 
is filed by: 
1.  A labor organization alleging that thirty percent (30%) of 
the firefighters or police officers in a municipality: 
a. wish to be represented for collective bargaining by an 
exclusive employee representative, or 
b. assert that the designated exclusive employee 
representative is no longer the representative of the 
majority of employees in the unit; or 
2.  The employer alleging that one or more labor organizations 
has presented to it a claim to be recognized as the exclus ive 
employee representative in an appropriate unit; 
the Board shall investigate the facts alleged therein and if it has 
reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation 
exists, it shall provide for an appropriate hearing upon due notice.   
 
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If the Board finds upon the record of such hearing that such a 
question of representation exists, it shall direct an election by 
secret ballot and shall certify the results thereof.  The Board may 
also certify a labor organization as an exclusive employee 
representative if it determines that a free and untrammelled 
election cannot be conducted because of the employer’s unfair labor 
practices. 
C.  Only those labor organizations which have been designated by 
more than ten percent (10%) of the employees in the unit found to be 
appropriate shall be placed on the ballot.  Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to prohibit the waiving of hearing by stipulation 
for the purpose of a consent election, in conformity with the rules 
and regulations of the Board. 
D.  In order to assure to firefighters and police officers of 
any municipality the fullest freedom in exercising the rights 
guaranteed by this article, the Board shall decide in each case 
before it in which the issue is raised the unit appropriate for the 
purposes of collective bargaining, and shall consider such factors 
as community of interest, wages, hours and other working conditions 
of the employees involved, the history of collective bargaining, and 
the desires of the employees. 
E.  An election shall not be d irected in any bargaining unit or 
in any subdivision thereof within which, in the preceding twelve -
month period, a valid election has been held.  The Board shall   
 
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determine who is eligible to vote in the election and shall 
establish rules governing the elec tion.  In any election where none 
of the choices on the ballot receives a majority, but a majority of 
all votes cast are for representation by some labor organization, a 
run-off election shall be conducted.  A labor organization which 
receives the majority of the votes cast in an election shall be 
certified by the Board as the exclusive employee representative A 
municipal employer shall recognize a bargaining agent selected by a 
majority of the firefighters of the fire department or police 
officers of the police department of that municipality as the 
exclusive bargaining agent for the firefighters or police officers 
of that municipality until a majority of the firefighters or police 
officers withdraw the recognition.  Bargaining agents recognized by 
municipalities and having bargained with municipalities, prior to 
the effective date of this act, shall continue to be so recognized 
without a new selection by the majority of the firefighters or 
policer officers. 
1.  The bargaining agent representing the departme nt as the 
exclusive bargaining agent shall be determined by a majority vote of 
the police or firefighters of the department. 
2.  A question of whether a bargaining agent is the exclusive 
bargaining agent of the respective police or firefighters of a 
department shall be resolved by a fair election paid for by the 
bargaining agent or employees and conducted according to procedures   
 
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agreed on by the parties.  Such question arises where no bargaining 
agent is currently recognized as bargaining agent or where a 
bargaining agent is recognized and another bargaining agent presents 
proof they represent at least forty (40) percent of the respective 
police or firefighters of a department. 
Any vote or ballot authorized by the agreed procedures shall be 
accompanied by a copy of the voter's driver license or other state -
authorized identification card, and any vote or ballot submitted in 
person shall only be received by providing the same.  The bargaining 
agent seeking to represent the members of the department and the 
municipality shall each be entitled to select one person to observe 
the counting and tabulating of ballots cast in the election. 
3.  If the parties are unable to agree on election procedures 
under paragraph 2 of this subsection, either party may request the 
American Arbitration Association to conduct the election and certify 
the results.  Certification of the results of an election under this 
paragraph shall resolve the question regarding representation.  Any 
expenses of the election imposed by the American Arb itration 
Association shall be borne in equal shares by both parties, except 
that, if any fraudulent activity occurs in the election procedures 
or in tabulating the votes, the offending party shall solely bear 
the expense.   
 
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4.  No election shall be conducted in any bargaining unit which, 
in the preceding twelve -month period, a valid election has been 
held. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021. ” 
 
Passed the Senate the 21st day of April, 2021. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of th e Senate 
 
 
Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 
2021. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives   
 
ENGR. H. B. NO. 2747 	Page 1  1 
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ENGROSSED HOUSE 
BILL NO. 2747 	By: Ford of the House 
 
   and 
 
  Haste of the Senate 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to cities and towns; amending 11 O.S. 
2011, Section 51-103, which relates to collective 
bargaining; eliminating creation of Public Employees 
Relations Board; eliminating petition, hearing and 
election processes; directing a municipal employer to 
recognize association as the exclusive bargaining 
agent for the firefighters or police officers; 
determining association by a majority vote; 
establishing election procedures; and providing an 
effective date. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 3.     AMENDATORY     11 O.S. 2011, Section 51 -103, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 51-103.  A.  Firefighters and police officers in any 
municipality shall have the separate right to bargain collectively 
with their municipality and to be represented by a bargaining agent 
in such collective bargaining with respect to wages, salaries, 
hours, rates of pay, grievances, working conditions and all other 
terms and conditions of employment.   
 
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B.  Whenever, conformable to regulations that may be p rescribed 
by the Public Employees Relations Board, herein created, a petition 
is filed by: 
1.  A labor organization alleging that thirty percent (30%) of 
the firefighters or police officers in a municipality: 
a. wish to be represented for collective bargai ning by an 
exclusive employee representative, or 
b. assert that the designated exclusive employee 
representative is no longer the representative of the 
majority of employees in the unit; or 
2.  The employer alleging that one or more labor organizations 
has presented to it a claim to be recognized as the exclusive 
employee representative in an appropriate unit; 
the Board shall investigate the facts alleged therein and if it has 
reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation 
exists, it shall provide for an appropriate hearing upon due notice. 
If the Board finds upon the record of such hearing that such a 
question of representation exists, it shall direct an election by 
secret ballot and shall certify the results thereof.  The Board may 
also certify a labor organization as an exclusive employee 
representative if it determines that a free and untrammelled 
election cannot be conducted because of the employer's unfair labor 
practices.   
 
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C.  Only those labor organizations which have been designated by 
more than ten percent (10%) of the employees in the unit found to be 
appropriate shall be placed on the ballot.  Nothing in this section 
shall be construed to prohibit the waiving of hearing by stipulation 
for the purpose of a consent election, in conformit y with the rules 
and regulations of the Board. 
D.  In order to assure to firefighters and police officers of 
any municipality the fullest freedom in exercising the rights 
guaranteed by this article, the Board shall decide in each case 
before it in which th e issue is raised the unit appropriate for the 
purposes of collective bargaining, and shall consider such factors 
as community of interest, wages, hours and other working conditions 
of the employees involved, the history of collective bargaining, and 
the desires of the employees. 
E.  An election shall not be directed in any bargaining unit or 
in any subdivision thereof within which, in the preceding twelve -
month period, a valid election has been held.  The Board shall 
determine who is eligible to vote in th e election and shall 
establish rules governing the election.  In any election where none 
of the choices on the ballot receives a majority, but a majority of 
all votes cast are for representation by some labor organization, a 
run-off election shall be condu cted.  A labor organization which 
receives the majority of the votes cast in an election shall be 
certified by the Board as the exclusive employee representative A   
 
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municipal employer shall recognize an association selected by a 
majority of the firefighters of the fire department or police 
officers of the police department of that municipality as the 
exclusive bargaining agent for the firefighters or police officers 
of that municipality until a majority of the firefighters or police 
officers withdraw the rec ognition. 
1.  The association representing the department as the 
exclusive bargaining agent shall be determined by a majority vote of 
the police or firefighters of the department. 
2.  A question of whether an association is the exclusive 
bargaining agent of the respective police or firefighters of a 
department shall be resolved by a fair election conducted according 
to procedures agreed on by the parties.  The bargaining agent 
seeking to represent the members of the department and the 
municipality shall eac h be entitled to select one person to observe 
the counting and tabulating of ballots cast in the election. 
3.  If the parties are unable to agree on election procedures 
under paragraph 2 of this subsection, either party may request the 
American Arbitration Association to conduct the election and certify 
the results.  Certification of the results of an election under this 
paragraph shall resolve the question regarding representation.  Any 
expenses of the election imposed by the American Arbitration 
Association shall be borne in equal shares by both parties . 
SECTION 4.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.   
 
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Passed the House of Representatives the 9th day of March, 2021. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives 
 
 
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2021. 
 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate