111.50
111.50
Declaration of policy. It is hereby declared to be the public policy of this state that it is necessary and essential in the public interest to facilitate the prompt, peaceful and just settlement of labor disputes between public utility employers and their employees which cause or threaten to cause an interruption in the supply of an essential public utility service to the citizens of this state and to that end to encourage the making and maintaining of agreements concerning wages, hours and other conditions of employment through collective bargaining between public utility employers and their employees, and to provide settlement procedures for labor disputes between public utility employers and their employees in cases where the collective bargaining process has reached an impasse and stalemate and as a result thereof the parties are unable to effect such settlement and which labor disputes, if not settled, are likely to cause interruption of the supply of an essential public utility service. The interruption of public utility service results in damage and injury to the public wholly apart from the effect upon the parties immediately concerned and creates an emergency justifying action which adequately protects the general welfare.
111.50 Annotation
The application of the open meetings law to duties of WERC is discussed. 68 Atty. Gen. 171.
111.51
111.51
Definitions. When used in this subchapter:
111.51(1)
(1) "Arbitrators" refers to the arbitrators provided for in this subchapter.
111.51(2)
(2) "Collective bargaining" means collective bargaining of or similar to the kind provided for by
subch. I.
111.51(3)
(3) "Commission" means the employment relations commission.
111.51(4)
(4) "Essential service" means furnishing water, light, heat, gas, electric power, public passenger transportation or communication, or any one or more of them, to the public in this state.
111.51(5)(a)(a) "Public utility employer" means any employer, other than the state or any political subdivision thereof, engaged in the business of furnishing water, light, heat, gas, electric power, public passenger transportation or communication, or any one or more of them, to the public in this state; and shall be considered to include a rural electrification cooperative association engaged in the business of furnishing any one or more of such services or utilities to its members in this state.
111.51(5)(b)
(b) Nothing in this subsection shall be interpreted or construed to mean that rural electrification cooperative associations are brought under or made subject to
ch. 196 or other laws creating, governing or controlling public utilities, it being the intent of the legislature to specifically exclude rural electrification cooperative associations from the provisions of such laws.
111.51(5)(c)
(c) This subchapter does not apply to railroads nor railroad employees.
111.51 History
History: 1983 a. 189;
1995 a. 225.
111.52
111.52
Settlement of labor disputes through collective bargaining and arbitration. It shall be the duty of public utility employers and their employees in public utility operations to exert every reasonable effort to settle labor disputes by the making of agreements through collective bargaining between the parties, and by maintaining the agreements when made, and to prevent, if possible, the collective bargaining process from reaching a state of impasse and stalemate.
111.53
111.53
Appointment of conciliators and arbitrators. Within 30 days after July 25, 1947, the commission shall appoint a panel of persons to serve as conciliators or arbitrators under this subchapter. No person shall serve as a conciliator and arbitrator in the same dispute. Each person appointed to said panels shall be a resident of this state, possessing, in the judgment of the commission, the requisite experience and judgment to qualify such person capably and fairly to deal with labor dispute problems. All such appointments shall be made without a consideration of the political affiliations of the appointee. Each appointee shall take an oath to perform honestly and to the best of the appointee's ability the duties of conciliator or arbitrator, as the case may be. Any appointee may be removed by the commission at any time or may resign his or her position at any time by notice in writing to the commission. Any vacancy in the panels shall be filled by the commission within 30 days after such vacancy occurs. Such conciliators and arbitrators shall be paid reasonable compensation for services and for necessary expenses, in an amount to be fixed by the commission, such compensation and expenses to be paid out of the appropriation made to the commission by
s. 20.425 upon such authorizations as the commission may prescribe.
111.53 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
111.54
111.54
Conciliation. If in any case of a labor dispute between a public utility employer and its employees, the collective bargaining process reaches an impasse and stalemate, with the result that the employer and the employees are unable to effect a settlement thereof, then either party to the dispute may petition the commission to appoint a conciliator from the panel, provided for by
s. 111.53. Upon the filing of such petition, the commission shall consider the same, and if in its opinion, the collective bargaining process, notwithstanding good faith efforts on the part of both sides to such dispute, has reached an impasse and stalemate and such dispute, if not settled, will cause or is likely to cause the interruption of an essential service, the commission shall appoint a conciliator from the panel to attempt to effect the settlement of such dispute. The conciliator so named shall expeditiously meet with the disputing parties and shall exert every reasonable effort to effect a prompt settlement of the dispute.
111.55
111.55
Conciliator unable to effect settlement; appointment of arbitrators. If a conciliator named under
s. 111.54 is unable to effect a settlement of a labor dispute between a public utility employer and its employees within a 15-day period after the conciliator's appointment, the conciliator shall report that fact to the commission. The commission, if it believes that a continuation of the dispute will cause or is likely to cause the interruption of an essential service, shall submit to the parties the names of either 3 or 5 persons from the panel provided for in
s. 111.53. Each party shall alternately strike one name from such list of persons. The person or persons left on the list shall be appointed by the commission as the arbitrator or arbitrators to hear and determine such dispute.
111.55 History
History: 1993 a. 492;
1995 a. 225.
111.56
111.56
Existing state of affairs to be maintained. During the pendency of proceedings under this subchapter existing wages, hours, and conditions of employment shall not be changed by action of either party without the consent of the other.
111.56 History
History: 1979 c. 110 s.
60 (9).
111.57
111.57
Arbitrator to hold hearings. 111.57(1)
(1) The arbitrator shall promptly hold hearings and shall have the power to administer oaths and compel the attendance of witnesses and the furnishing by the parties of such information as may be necessary to a determination of the issue or issues in dispute. Both parties to the dispute shall have the opportunity to be present at the hearing, both personally and by counsel, and to present such oral and documentary evidence as the arbitrator shall deem relevant to the issue or issues in controversy.
111.57(2)
(2) It shall be the duty of the arbitrator to make written findings of fact, and to promulgate a written decision and order, upon the issue or issues presented in each case. In making such findings the arbitrator shall consider only the evidence in the record. When a valid contract is in effect defining the rights, duties and liabilities of the parties with respect to any matter in dispute, the arbitrators shall have power only to determine the proper interpretation and application of contract provisions which are involved.
111.57(3)(a)(a) If there is no contract between the parties, or if there is a contract but the parties have begun negotiations looking to a new contract or amendment of the existing contract, and wage rates or other conditions of employment under the proposed new or amended contract are in dispute, the factors, among others, to be given weight by the arbitrator in arriving at decision, shall include all of the following:
111.57(3)(a)1.
1. A comparison of wage rates or other conditions of employment of the utility in question with prevailing wage rates or other conditions of employment in the local operating area involved.
111.57(3)(a)2.
2. A comparison of wage rates or other working conditions with wage rates or other working conditions maintained for the same or similar work of workers exhibiting like or similar skills under the same or similar working conditions in the local operating area involved.
111.57(3)(a)3.
3. The value of the service to the consumer in the local operating area involved.
111.57(3)(a)4.
4. The overall compensation presently received by the employees, having regard not only to wages for time actually worked but also to wages for time not worked, including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, vacation, holidays, and other excused time, and all benefits received, including insurance and pensions, medical and hospitalization benefits, and the continuity and stability of employment enjoyed by the employees.
111.57(3)(d)
(d) In addition to considering the factors under
par. (a), if a public utility employer has more than one plant or office and some or all of the employer's plants or offices are found by the arbitrator to be located in separate areas with different characteristics, consideration shall be given to the establishment of separate wage rates or a schedule of wage rates and separate conditions of employment for plants and offices in different areas.
111.57(3)(e)
(e) The enumeration of factors under
pars. (a) and
(d) shall not be construed as precluding the arbitrator from taking into consideration other factors not confined to the local labor market area that are normally or traditionally taken into consideration in the determination of wages, hours, and working conditions through voluntary collective bargaining or arbitration between the parties.
111.57 History
History: 1999 a. 83;
2001 a. 103.
111.58
111.58
Standards for arbitration. The arbitrator shall not make any award which would infringe upon the right of the employer to manage the employer's business or which would interfere with the internal affairs of the union.
111.58 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
111.59
111.59
Filing order with clerk of circuit court; period effective; retroactivity. 111.59(1)
(1) In this section, "order" means the findings, decision and order of the arbitrator.
111.59(2)
(2) The arbitrator shall hand down his or her order within 30 days after his or her appointment; except that the parties may agree to extend, or the commission may for good cause extend the period for not to exceed an additional 30 days. If the arbitrators do not agree, then the decision of the majority shall constitute the order in the case. The arbitrator shall furnish to each of the parties and to the public service commission a copy of the order. A certified copy thereof shall be filed in the office of the clerk of the circuit court of the county wherein the dispute arose or where the majority of the employees involved in the dispute resides.
111.59(3)
(3) Unless the order is reversed upon a petition for review filed pursuant to
s. 111.60, the order, together with any other agreements that the parties may themselves have reached, shall become binding upon, and shall control the relationship between the parties from the date on which the order is filed with the clerk of the circuit court, as provided in
sub. (2). The order shall continue effective for one year from that date, but the order may be changed by mutual consent or agreement of the parties. No order of the arbitrators relating to wages or rates of pay shall be retroactive to a date before the date of the termination of any contract which may have existed between the parties, or, if there was no prior contract, to a date before the day on which the demands involved in the dispute were presented to the other party. The question whether or not new contract provisions or amendments to an existing contract are retroactive to the terminating date of a present contract, amendments or part thereof, shall be matter for collective bargaining or decision by the arbitrator.
111.59 History
History: 1993 a. 492;
1995 a. 225.
111.60
111.60
Judicial review of order of arbitrator. 111.60(1)
(1) Either party to the dispute may, within 15 days from the date such order is filed with the clerk of the court, petition the court for a review of such order on the ground that:
111.60(1)(a)
(a) The parties were not given reasonable opportunity to be heard;
111.60(1)(b)
(b) The arbitrator exceeded the arbitrator's powers;
111.60(1)(c)
(c) The order is not supported by the evidence; or
111.60(1)(d)
(d) The order was procured by fraud, collusion or other unlawful means.
111.60(2)
(2) A summons to the other party to the dispute shall be issued as provided by law in other civil cases; and either party shall have the same rights to a change of venue from the county, or to a change of judge, as provided by law in other civil cases.
111.60(3)
(3) The judge of the circuit court shall review the order solely upon the grounds for review hereinabove set forth and shall affirm, reverse, modify or remand such order to the arbitrator as to any issue or issues for such further action as the circumstances require.
111.60 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
111.61
111.61
Commission to establish rules. The commission shall establish appropriate rules and regulations to govern the conduct of conciliation and arbitration proceedings under this subchapter.
111.62
111.62
Strikes, work stoppages, slowdowns, lockouts, unlawful; penalty. It shall be unlawful for any group of employees of a public utility employer acting in concert to call a strike or to go out on strike, or to cause any work stoppage or slowdown which would cause an interruption of an essential service; it also shall be unlawful for any public utility employer to lock out the employer's employees when such action would cause an interruption of essential service; and it shall be unlawful for any person or persons to instigate, to induce, to conspire with, or to encourage any other person or persons to engage in any strike or lockout or slowdown or work stoppage which would cause an interruption of an essential service. Any violation of this section by any member of a group of employees acting in concert or by any employer or by any officer of an employer acting for such employer, or by any other individual, shall constitute a misdemeanor.
111.62 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
111.63
111.63
Enforcement. The commission shall enforce compliance with this subchapter and to that end may file an action in the circuit court of the county in which any violation of this subchapter occurs to restrain and enjoin the violation and to compel the performance of the duties imposed by this subchapter. In any action described in this section,
ss. 103.505 to
103.61 do not apply.
111.63 History
History: 1997 a. 253.
111.64(1)(1) Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed to require any individual employee to render labor or service without the employee's consent, or to make illegal the quitting of the employee's labor or service or the withdrawal from the employee's place of employment unless done in concert or agreement with others. No court shall have power to issue any process to compel an individual employee to render labor or service or to remain at the employee's place of employment without the employee's consent. It is the intent of this subchapter only to forbid employees of a public utility employer to engage in a strike or to engage in a work slowdown or stoppage in concert, and to forbid a public utility employer to lock out the employer's employees, where such acts would cause an interruption of essential service.
111.64(2)
(2) All laws and parts of laws in conflict herewith are to the extent of such conflict concerning the subject matter dealt with in this subchapter supplanted by the provisions of this subchapter.
111.64 History
History: 1993 a. 492.
MUNICIPAL EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS
111.70
111.70
Municipal employment. 111.70(1)
(1)
Definitions. As used in this subchapter:
111.70(1)(a)
(a) "Collective bargaining" means the performance of the mutual obligation of a municipal employer, through its officers and agents, and the representative of its municipal employees in a collective bargaining unit, to meet and confer at reasonable times, in good faith, with the intention of reaching an agreement, or to resolve questions arising under such an agreement, with respect to wages, hours and conditions of employment, and with respect to a requirement of the municipal employer for a municipal employee to perform law enforcement and fire fighting services under
s. 61.66, except as provided in
sub. (4) (m) and
s. 40.81 (3) and except that a municipal employer shall not meet and confer with respect to any proposal to diminish or abridge the rights guaranteed to municipal employees under
ch. 164. The duty to bargain, however, does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a concession. Collective bargaining includes the reduction of any agreement reached to a written and signed document. The municipal employer shall not be required to bargain on subjects reserved to management and direction of the governmental unit except insofar as the manner of exercise of such functions affects the wages, hours and conditions of employment of the municipal employees in a collective bargaining unit. In creating this subchapter the legislature recognizes that the municipal employer must exercise its powers and responsibilities to act for the government and good order of the jurisdiction which it serves, its commercial benefit and the health, safety and welfare of the public to assure orderly operations and functions within its jurisdiction, subject to those rights secured to municipal employees by the constitutions of this state and of the United States and by this subchapter.
111.70(1)(b)
(b) "Collective bargaining unit" means a unit consisting of municipal employees who are school district professional employees or of municipal employees who are not school district professional employees that is determined by the commission to be appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining.
111.70(1)(c)
(c) "Commission" means the employment relations commission.
111.70(1)(d)
(d) "Craft employee" means a skilled journeyman craftsman, including the skilled journeyman craftsman's apprentices and helpers, but shall not include employees not in direct line of progression in the craft.
111.70(1)(dm)
(dm) "Economic issue" means salaries, overtime pay, sick leave, payments in lieu of sick leave usage, vacations, clothing allowances in excess of the actual cost of clothing, length-of-service credit, continuing education credit, shift premium pay, longevity pay, extra duty pay, performance bonuses, health insurance, life insurance, dental insurance, disability insurance, vision insurance, long-term care insurance, worker's compensation and unemployment insurance, social security benefits, vacation pay, holiday pay, lead worker pay, temporary assignment pay, retirement contributions, supplemental retirement benefits, severance or other separation pay, hazardous duty pay, certification or license payment, limitations on layoffs that create a new or increased financial liability on the employer and contracting or subcontracting of work that would otherwise be performed by municipal employees in the collective bargaining unit with which there is a labor dispute.
111.70(1)(e)
(e) "Election" means a proceeding conducted by the commission in which the employees in a collective bargaining unit cast a secret ballot for collective bargaining representatives, or for any other purpose specified in this subchapter.
111.70(1)(f)
(f) "Fair-share agreement" means an agreement between a municipal employer and a labor organization under which all or any of the employees in the collective bargaining unit are required to pay their proportionate share of the cost of the collective bargaining process and contract administration measured by the amount of dues uniformly required of all members. Such an agreement shall contain a provision requiring the employer to deduct the amount of dues as certified by the labor organization from the earnings of the employees affected by said agreement and to pay the amount so deducted to the labor organization.
111.70(1)(fm)
(fm) "Fringe benefit savings" means the amount, if any, by which 1.7% of the total compensation and fringe benefit costs for all municipal employees in a collective bargaining unit for any 12-month period covered by a proposed collective bargaining agreement exceeds the increased cost required to maintain the percentage contribution by the municipal employer to the municipal employees' existing fringe benefit costs and to maintain all fringe benefits provided to the municipal employees, as determined under
sub. (4) (cm) 8s.
111.70(1)(g)
(g) "Labor dispute" means any controversy concerning wages, hours and conditions of employment, or concerning the representation of persons in negotiating, maintaining, changing or seeking to arrange wages, hours and conditions of employment.
111.70(1)(h)
(h) "Labor organization" means any employee organization in which employees participate and which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of engaging in collective bargaining with municipal employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours or conditions of employment.
111.70(1)(i)
(i) "Municipal employee" means any individual employed by a municipal employer other than an independent contractor, supervisor, or confidential, managerial or executive employee.
111.70(1)(j)
(j) "Municipal employer" means any city, county, village, town, metropolitan sewerage district, school district, family care district, or any other political subdivision of the state, or instrumentality of one or more political subdivisions of the state, that engages the services of an employee and includes any person acting on behalf of a municipal employer within the scope of the person's authority, express or implied, but specifically does not include a local cultural arts district created under
subch. V of ch. 229.
111.70(1)(k)
(k) "Person" means one or more individuals, labor organizations, associations, corporations or legal representatives.
111.70(1)(L)1.a.
a. Predominantly intellectual and varied in character as opposed to routine mental, manual, mechanical or physical work;
111.70(1)(L)1.b.
b. Involving the consistent exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance;
111.70(1)(L)1.c.
c. Of such a character that the output produced or the result accomplished cannot be standardized in relation to a given period of time;
111.70(1)(L)1.d.
d. Requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction and study in an institution of higher education or a hospital, as distinguished from a general academic education or from an apprenticeship or from training in the performance of routine mental, manual or physical process; or
111.70(1)(L)2.a.
a. Has completed the courses of specialized intellectual instruction and study described in
subd. 1. d.;
111.70(1)(L)2.b.
b. Is performing related work under the supervision of a professional person to qualify to become a professional employee as defined in
subd. 1.
111.70(1)(m)
(m) "Prohibited practice" means any practice prohibited under this subchapter.
111.70(1)(n)
(n) "Referendum" means a proceeding conducted by the commission in which employees in a collective bargaining unit may cast a secret ballot on the question of authorizing a labor organization and the employer to continue a fair-share agreement. Unless a majority of the eligible employees vote in favor of the fair-share agreement, it shall be deemed terminated and that portion of the collective bargaining agreement deemed null and void.
111.70(1)(nc)1.1. "Qualified economic offer" means an offer made to a labor organization by a municipal employer that includes all of the following, except as provided in
subd. 2.:
111.70(1)(nc)1.a.
a. A proposal to maintain the percentage contribution by the municipal employer to the municipal employees' existing fringe benefit costs as determined under
sub. (4) (cm) 8s., and to maintain all fringe benefits provided to the municipal employees in a collective bargaining unit, as such contributions and benefits existed on the 90th day prior to expiration of any previous collective bargaining agreement between the parties, or the 90th day prior to commencement of negotiations if there is no previous collective bargaining agreement between the parties.
111.70(1)(nc)1.b.
b. In any collective bargaining unit in which the municipal employee positions were on August 12, 1993, assigned to salary ranges with steps that determine the levels of progression within each salary range during a 12-month period, a proposal to provide for a salary increase of at least one full step for each 12-month period covered by the proposed collective bargaining agreement, beginning with the expiration date of any previous collective bargaining agreement, for each municipal employee who is eligible for a within range salary increase, unless the increased cost of providing such a salary increase, as determined under
sub. (4) (cm) 8s., exceeds 2.1% of the total compensation and fringe benefit costs for all municipal employees in the collective bargaining unit for any 12-month period covered by the proposed collective bargaining agreement plus any fringe benefit savings, or unless the increased cost required to maintain the percentage contribution by the municipal employer to the municipal employees' existing fringe benefit costs and to maintain all fringe benefits provided to the municipal employees, as determined under
sub. (4) (cm) 8s., in addition to the increased cost of providing such a salary increase, exceeds 3.8% of the total compensation and fringe benefit costs for all municipal employees in the collective bargaining unit for any 12-month period covered by the proposed collective bargaining agreement, in which case the offer shall include provision for a salary increase for each such municipal employee in an amount at least equivalent to that portion of a step for each such 12-month period that can be funded after the increased cost in excess of 2.1% of the total compensation and fringe benefit costs for all municipal employees in the collective bargaining unit plus any fringe benefit savings is subtracted, or in an amount equivalent to that portion of a step for each such 12-month period that can be funded from the amount that remains, if any, after the increased cost of such maintenance exceeding 1.7% of the total compensation and fringe benefit costs for all municipal employees in the collective bargaining unit for each 12-month period is subtracted on a prorated basis, whichever is the lower amount.
