Sec. 451.753. GENERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO AGREEMENTS, RECOGNITION, AND STRIKES. (a) An authority may not be denied local control over the wages, salaries, rates of pay, hours of work, or other terms and conditions of employment to the extent the public employer and the association recognized as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent under Section 451.754 agree as provided by this subchapter. Applicable statutes and applicable local rules and regulations apply to an issue not governed by the agreement.

(b) An agreement under this subchapter must be written.

(c) This subchapter does not require a public employer or a recognized association to meet and confer on any issue or reach an agreement.

(d) A public employer and the recognized association may meet and confer only if the association does not advocate an illegal strike by public employees.

(e) A peace officer of an authority may not engage in a strike or organized work stoppage against this state or a political subdivision of this state. A peace officer who participates in a strike forfeits any civil service rights, reemployment rights, and other rights, benefits, or privileges the peace officer may have as a result of the person's employment or prior employment with the authority. This subsection does not affect the right of a person to cease work if the person is not acting in concert with others in an organized work stoppage.

(f) The public employer's chief executive officer or the chief executive officer's designee shall select a group of persons to represent the public employer as its sole and exclusive bargaining agent for issues related to the employment of peace officers by the authority.

Added by Acts 2001, 77th Leg., ch. 186, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 2001.