Under final automatic review, if DER and a labor organization have failed to
conclude negotiations by July 31 of an odd-numbered year and the commission
determines that the parties remain at an impasse over the terms of a proposed

collective bargaining agreement, the commission must initiate review proceedings
by appointing a qualified neutral person, or a 3-member panel when jointly
requested by the parties, to serve as the final reviewer to make written
recommendations to resolve the impasse.
The final reviewer may conduct a hearing to determine all relevant facts, the
issues in dispute and the positions of the parties; or, in lieu of or in addition to a
hearing, the reviewer may investigate such matters. At the request of the final
reviewer, the commission must appoint a staff member to assist in the investigation.
The reviewer then issues written recommendations for resolution of the dispute
and serves them on both parties and the commission not later than the September
30 immediately following the reviewer's appointment. The bill provides specific
factors that the final reviewer must consider in making recommendations.
Thirty days after the issuance of the final reviewer's recommendations, the
recommendations become final and binding upon the parties and must be
incorporated into a collective bargaining agreement unless: 1) both parties in
writing reject the recommendations in whole or in part; or 2) the joint committee on
employment relations, by a vote of a majority of its members, rejects the
recommendations. In either case, the dispute is then referred back to the parties for
continued negotiations.
Under the bill, the cost of final automatic review proceedings is divided equally
between the parties. The commission is directed to promulgate administrative rules
to ensure a fair and expeditious final automatic review process which must include
sanctions against final reviewers who fail to issue timely written recommendations.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
SB149, s. 1 1Section 1. 20.512 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
SB149,2,42 20.512 (1) (c) Final automatic review expenses. A sum sufficient to pay the
3employer's share of the expenses of final automatic review proceedings in labor
4disputes involving state employes under s. 111.88.
SB149, s. 2 5Section 2. 20.865 (1) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB149,3,76 20.865 (1) (c) Compensation and related adjustments. A sum sufficient to
7supplement the appropriations to state agencies for the cost of compensation and
8related adjustments approved by the legislature or placed in effect under s. 111.88
9(6) or
111.92 for represented employes and approved by the joint committee on

1employment relations under s. 230.12 and by the legislature, when required, for
2nonrepresented employes in the classified service and comparable adjustments for
3nonrepresented employes in the unclassified service, except those nonrepresented
4employes specified in ss. 20.923 (5) and (6) (c) and (m) and 230.08 (2) (d) and (f), as
5determined under s. 20.928, other than adjustments funded under par. (cj).
6Unclassified employes included under s. 20.923 (2) need not be paid comparable
7adjustments.
SB149, s. 3 8Section 3. 20.865 (1) (i) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB149,3,209 20.865 (1) (i) Compensation and related adjustments; program revenues. From
10the appropriate program revenue and program revenue-service accounts, a sum
11sufficient to supplement the appropriations to state agencies for the cost of
12compensation and related adjustments approved by the legislature or placed in effect
13under s. 111.88 (6) or 111.92 for represented employes and approved by the joint
14committee on employment relations under s. 230.12 and by the legislature, when
15required, for nonrepresented employes in the classified service and comparable
16adjustments for nonrepresented employes in the unclassified service, except those
17nonrepresented employes specified in ss. 20.923 (5) and (6) (c) and (m) and 230.08 (2)
18(d) and (f), as determined under s. 20.928, other than adjustments funded under par.
19(cj). Unclassified employes included under s. 20.923 (2) need not be paid comparable
20adjustments.
SB149, s. 4 21Section 4. 20.865 (1) (s) of the statutes is amended to read:
SB149,4,722 20.865 (1) (s) Compensation and related adjustments; segregated revenues.
23From the appropriate segregated funds, a sum sufficient to supplement the
24appropriations to state agencies for the cost of compensation and related
25adjustments approved by the legislature or placed in effect under s. 111.88 (6) or

1111.92 for represented employes and approved by the joint committee on
2employment relations under s. 230.12 and by the legislature, when required, for
3nonrepresented employes in the classified service and comparable adjustments for
4nonrepresented employes in the unclassified service, except those nonrepresented
5employes specified in ss. 20.923 (5) and (6) (c) and (m) and 230.08 (2) (d) and (f), as
6determined under s. 20.928. Unclassified employes under s. 20.923 (2) need not be
7paid comparable adjustments.
SB149, s. 5 8Section 5. 111.865 of the statutes is created to read:
SB149,4,13 9111.865 Commencement of negotiations. The department and any labor
10organization representing a collective bargaining unit shall hold their first meeting
11to negotiate the terms of any new or successor collective bargaining agreement, and
12to exchange initial proposals with respect thereto, not later than March 1 in each
13odd-numbered year.
SB149, s. 6 14Section 6. 111.88 of the statutes is repealed and recreated to read:
SB149,4,21 15111.88 Final automatic review. (1) If the department and any labor
16organization representing a collective bargaining unit have failed to reach a
17tentative agreement for any biennium by July 31 following the beginning of that
18biennium and the commission determines that the parties are at an impasse with
19respect to the terms of any new or successor collective bargaining agreement for that
20biennium, the commission shall initiate final automatic review proceedings under
21this section for the purpose of making recommendations to resolve the impasse.
SB149,5,2 22(2) At the commencement of proceedings, the commission shall appoint a
23qualified, disinterested person or, when jointly requested by the parties, a 3-member
24panel to serve as the final reviewer. A 3-member panel has the same powers and

1duties as provided in this section for other appointed final reviewers and all
2recommendations by the panel shall be determined by majority vote.
SB149,5,15 3(3) The final reviewer may establish a date and place for a hearing which shall
4be conducted pursuant to rules established by the commission. The final reviewer
5may subpoena witnesses and may administer oaths. The final reviewer shall take
6judicial notice of all data presented by the parties which is relevant to the wages,
7hours and employment conditions of the employes to be covered by the proposed
8collective bargaining agreement. In lieu of or in addition to a hearing, the final
9reviewer may conduct his or her own investigation to determine the relevant facts,
10the issues in dispute and the positions of the parties. At the request of the final
11reviewer, the commission shall assign a member of its staff to assist in the
12investigation. Upon completion of its hearing, investigation, or both, but not later
13than September 30 immediately following his or her appointment, the final reviewer
14shall make written recommendations for resolution of the dispute and serve them on
15both parties and the commission.
SB149,5,17 16(4) In making his or her recommendations under sub. (3), the final reviewer
17shall give weight to the following factors:
SB149,5,1818 (a) The lawful authority of the employer.
SB149,5,1919 (b) The stipulations of the parties.
SB149,5,2020 (c) The interests and welfare of the public.
SB149,5,2221 (d) The financial ability of the state to meet the costs of any proposed
22settlement.
SB149,6,223 (e) Comparison of the wages, hours and conditions of employment of the
24employes involved in proceedings under this section with the wages, hours and

1conditions of employment of other individuals performing similar services in public
2and private employment.
SB149,6,43 (f) The average consumer prices for goods and services, commonly known as the
4cost of living.
SB149,6,85 (g) The overall compensation presently received by the employes involved in
6proceedings under this section, including direct wage compensation, vacation,
7holidays and excused time, insurance and pensions, medical and hospitalization
8benefits, the continuity and stability of employment and all other benefits received.
SB149,6,109 (h) The public interest in efficient and economical governmental
10administration.
SB149,6,1211 (i) Changes in any of the foregoing circumstances during the pendency of
12proceedings under this section.
SB149,6,1613 (j) Such other factors which are normally or traditionally taken into
14consideration in the determination of wages, hours and conditions of employment
15through voluntary collective bargaining, mediation, fact-finding, arbitration or
16otherwise between the parties, in the public service or in private employment.
SB149,6,20 17(5) The cost of final automatic review proceedings shall be divided equally
18between the parties. At the time that the final reviewer submits a statement of his
19or her costs to the parties, the final reviewer shall submit a copy thereof to the
20commission at its Madison office.
SB149,6,24 21(6) Thirty days after the date on which the final reviewer issues his or her
22written recommendations, the final reviewer's recommendations shall become final
23and binding upon the parties and shall be incorporated into a written collective
24bargaining agreement unless at least one of the following occurs:
SB149,7,3
1(a) Both parties, in writing, reject the final reviewer's recommendations in
2whole or in part, and notify each other and the commission at its Madison office of
3such rejection in writing.
SB149,7,54 (b) The joint committee on employment relations, by a vote of the majority of
5its members, rejects the final reviewer's recommendations.
SB149,7,8 6(7) If the final reviewer's recommendations are rejected by the parties or by the
7joint committee under sub. (6), the issues in dispute shall be referred back to the
8parties for continued negotiations.
SB149,7,14 9(8) The commission shall promulgate rules for the fair and expeditious
10administration of proceedings under this section and to ensure the timely issuance
11of all final automatic review recommendations as provided in sub. (3). The rules shall
12provide appropriate sanctions against the final reviewer, which may include the
13withholding of costs, for any failure to issue the reviewer's recommendations in a
14timely manner.
SB149, s. 7 15Section 7. 111.92 (1) and (4) of the statutes are amended to read:
SB149,8,1216 111.92 (1) Any Except where a collective bargaining agreement is placed in
17effect under s. 111.88 (6), any
tentative agreement reached between the department,
18acting for the executive branch, and any labor organization shall, after official
19ratification by the labor organization, be submitted by the department to the joint
20committee on employment relations, which shall hold a public hearing before
21determining its approval or disapproval. If the committee approves the tentative
22agreement, it shall introduce in a bill or companion bills, to be put on the calendar
23or referred to the appropriate scheduling committee of each house, that portion of the
24tentative agreement which requires legislative action for implementation, such as
25salary and wage adjustments, changes in fringe benefits, and any proposed

1amendments, deletions or additions to existing law. Such bill or companion bills are
2not subject to ss. 13.093 (1), 13.50 (6) (a) and (b) and 16.47 (2). The committee may,
3however, submit suitable portions of the tentative agreement to appropriate
4legislative committees for advisory recommendations on the proposed terms. The
5committee shall accompany the introduction of such proposed legislation with a
6message that informs the legislature of the committee's concurrence with the
7matters under consideration and which recommends the passage of such legislation
8without change. If the joint committee on employment relations does not approve
9the tentative agreement, it shall be returned to the parties for renegotiation. If the
10legislature does not adopt without change that portion of the tentative agreement
11introduced by the joint committee on employment relations, the tentative agreement
12shall be returned to the parties for renegotiation.
SB149,8,15 13(4) It is the declared intention under this subchapter that the negotiation of
14collective bargaining agreements and their approval by the parties should coincide
15with the overall fiscal planning and processes of the state.
SB149, s. 9 16Section 9. Initial applicability.
SB149,8,19 17(1)  This act first applies with respect to negotiations for collective bargaining
18agreements to be entered into for the biennial fiscal period commencing on June 29,
191997.
SB149,8,2020 (End)
Loading...
Loading...