(a) Employees shall have, and shall be protected in the exercise of, the right of self-organization, to form, join or assist any employee organization, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing on questions of wages, hours and other conditions of employment and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection, free from actual interference, restraint or coercion.

(b) When an employee organization has been designated by the State Board of Labor Relations as the representative of the majority of the employees in an appropriate unit, or has been recognized by the chief executive officer of a municipal employer as the representative of the majority of employees in an appropriate unit, that employee organization shall be recognized by the municipal employer as the exclusive bargaining agent for the employees of such unit.

(c) When an employee organization has been designated in accordance with the provisions of sections 7-467 to 7-477, inclusive, as the exclusive representative of employees in an appropriate unit, it shall have the right to act for and to negotiate agreements covering all employees in the unit and shall be responsible for representing the interests of all such employees without discrimination and without regard to employee organization membership.

(d) When an employee organization has been designated in accordance with the provisions of sections 7-467 to 7-477, inclusive, as the exclusive representative of employees in an appropriate unit, it shall have a duty of fair representation to the members of that unit.

(e) An individual employee at any time may present a grievance to his employer and have the grievance adjusted, without intervention of an employee organization, provided the adjustment shall not be inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining agreement then in effect. The employee organization certified or recognized as the exclusive representative shall be given prompt notice of the adjustment.

(February, 1965, P.A. 159, S. 2; 1967, P.A. 491, S. 2; P.A. 93-426, S. 4.)

History: 1967 act amended Subsec. (b) to specify that recognition of employee representative be made by chief executive officer; P.A. 93-426 inserted new Subsec. (d) to impose a duty of fair representation on an employee organization which represents municipal employees and redesignated existing Subsec. (d) as (e).

Cited. 171 C. 347, 349; Id., 553. Standing to test constitutionality of binding arbitration provisions of Municipal Employees Relations Act discussed. 181 C. 421. Cited. 182 C. 93; 185 C. 88; 196 C. 192; 200 C. 38; 201 C. 577; Id., 685; 204 C. 746; 205 C. 116; 210 C. 549; 212 C. 294; 215 C. 14; 221 C. 244; 222 C. 233; 224 C. 666; 225 C. 297; 234 C. 123; 239 C. 168.

Cited. 3 CA 1; 8 CA 57; 16 CA 232.

A public announcement of plaintiff's intention to file a prohibited practice complaint against a union is protected by the Municipal Employees Relations Act when the complaint is actually filed at a later date. 31 CS 7. Cited. Id., 15; 39 CS 1; 42 CS 227; 43 CS 470.

Subsec. (a):

Essentially same language as NLRA; judicial interpretation frequently accorded federal act is of great assistance and persuasive force in interpretation of our own acts. 175 C. 349.