Terms Used In Michigan Laws 423.210

  • Bargaining representative: means a labor organization recognized by an employer or certified by the commission as the sole and exclusive bargaining representative of certain employees of the employer. See Michigan Laws 423.201
  • Commission: means the employment relations commission created in section 3 of 1939 PA 176, MCL 423. See Michigan Laws 423.201
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • person: may extend and be applied to bodies politic and corporate, as well as to individuals. See Michigan Laws 8.3l
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Public employee: means an individual holding a position by appointment or employment in the government of this state, in the government of 1 or more of the political subdivisions of this state, in the public school service, in a public or special district, in the service of an authority, commission, or board, or in any other branch of the public service, subject to the following exceptions:
  (i) An individual employed by a private organization or entity who provides services under a time-limited contract with this state or a political subdivision of this state or who receives a direct or indirect government subsidy in his or her private employment is not an employee of this state or that political subdivision, and is not a public employee. See Michigan Laws 423.201
  • Public school employer: means a public employer that is the board of a school district, intermediate school district, or public school academy; is the chief executive officer of a school district in which a school reform board is in place under part 5A of the revised school code, 1976 PA 451, MCL 380. See Michigan Laws 423.201
  • state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories belonging to the United States; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  • Testimony: Evidence presented orally by witnesses during trials or before grand juries.
  •   (1) A public employer or an officer or agent of a public employer shall not do any of the following:
      (a) Interfere with, restrain, or coerce public employees in the exercise of their rights guaranteed in section 9.
      (b) Initiate, create, dominate, contribute to, or interfere with the formation or administration of any labor organization. A public school employer‘s use of public school resources to assist a labor organization in collecting dues or service fees from wages of public school employees is a prohibited contribution to the administration of a labor organization. However, a public school employer’s collection of dues or service fees pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement that is in effect on March 16, 2012 is not prohibited until the agreement expires or is terminated, extended, or renewed. A public employer may permit employees to confer with a labor organization during working hours without loss of time or pay.
      (c) Discriminate in regard to hire, terms, or other conditions of employment to encourage or discourage membership in a labor organization.
      (d) Discriminate against a public employee because he or she has given testimony or instituted proceedings under this act.
      (e) Refuse to bargain collectively with the representatives of its public employees, subject to section 11.
      (2) A labor organization or its agents shall not do any of the following:
      (a) Restrain or coerce public employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 9. This subdivision does not impair the right of a labor organization to prescribe its own rules with respect to the acquisition or retention of membership.
      (b) Restrain or coerce a public employer in the selection of its representatives for the purposes of collective bargaining or the adjustment of grievances.
      (c) Cause or attempt to cause a public employer to discriminate against a public employee in violation of subsection (1)(c).
      (d) Refuse to bargain collectively with a public employer, provided it is the representative of the public employer’s employees, subject to section 11.
      (3) Except as provided in subsection (4), an individual shall not be required as a condition of obtaining or continuing public employment to do any of the following:
      (a) Refrain or resign from membership in, voluntary affiliation with, or voluntary financial support of a labor organization or bargaining representative.
      (b) Become or remain a member of a labor organization or bargaining representative.
      (c) Pay any dues, fees, assessments, or other charges or expenses of any kind or amount, or provide anything of value to a labor organization or bargaining representative.
      (d) Pay to any charitable organization or third party any amount that is in lieu of, equivalent to, or any portion of dues, fees, assessments, or other charges or expenses required of members of or public employees represented by a labor organization or bargaining representative.
      (4) The application of subsection (3) is subject to the following:
      (a) Subsection (3) does not apply to any of the following:
      (i) A public police or fire department employee or any person who seeks to become employed as a public police or fire department employee as that term is defined under section 2 of 1969 PA 312, MCL 423.232.
      (ii) A state police trooper or sergeant who is granted rights under section 5 of article XI of the state constitution of 1963 or any individual who seeks to become employed as a state police trooper or sergeant.
      (b) Any person described in subdivision (a), or a labor organization or bargaining representative representing persons described in subdivision (a) and a public employer or this state may agree that all employees in the bargaining unit shall share fairly in the financial support of the labor organization or their exclusive bargaining representative by paying a fee to the labor organization or exclusive bargaining representative that may be equivalent to the amount of dues uniformly required of members of the labor organization or exclusive bargaining representative. Section 9(2) shall not be construed to interfere with the right of a public employer or this state and a labor organization or bargaining representative to enter into or lawfully administer such an agreement as it relates to the employees or persons described in subdivision (a).
      (c) If any of the exclusions in subdivision (a)(i) or (ii) are found to be invalid by a court, the following apply:
      (i) The individuals described in the exclusion found to be invalid shall no longer be excepted from the application of subsection (3).
      (ii) Subdivision (b) does not apply to individuals described in the invalid exclusion.
      (5) An agreement, contract, understanding, or practice between or involving a public employer, labor organization, or bargaining representative that violates subsection (3) is unlawful and unenforceable. This subsection applies only to an agreement, contract, understanding, or practice that takes effect or is extended or renewed after March 28, 2013.
      (6) The court of appeals has exclusive original jurisdiction over any action challenging the validity of subsection (3), (4), or (5). The court of appeals shall hear the action in an expedited manner.
      (7) For fiscal year 2012-2013, $1,000,000.00 is appropriated to the department of licensing and regulatory affairs to be expended to do all of the following regarding 2012 PA 349:
      (a) Respond to public inquiries regarding 2012 PA 349.
      (b) Provide the commission with sufficient staff and other resources to implement 2012 PA 349.
      (c) Inform public employers, public employees, and labor organizations concerning their rights and responsibilities under 2012 PA 349.
      (d) Any other purposes that the director of the department of licensing and regulatory affairs determines in his or her discretion are necessary to implement 2012 PA 349.
      (8) A person, public employer, or labor organization that violates subsection (3) is liable for a civil fine of not more than $500.00. A civil fine recovered under this section shall be submitted to the state treasurer for deposit in the general fund of this state.
      (9) By July 1 of each year, each exclusive bargaining representative that represents public employees in this state shall have an independent examiner verify the exclusive bargaining representative’s calculation of all expenditures attributed to the costs of collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment during the prior calendar year and shall file that verification with the commission. The commission shall make the exclusive bargaining representative’s calculations available to the public on the commission’s website. The exclusive bargaining representative shall also file a declaration identifying the local bargaining units that are represented. Local bargaining units identified in the declaration filed by the exclusive bargaining representative are not required to file a separate calculation of all expenditures attributed to the costs of collective bargaining, contract administration, and grievance adjustment. For fiscal year 2011-2012, $100,000.00 is appropriated to the commission for the costs of implementing this subsection. For fiscal year 2014-2015, $100,000.00 is appropriated to the commission for the costs of implementing this subsection.
      (10) Except for actions required to be brought under subsection (6), a person who suffers an injury as a result of a violation or threatened violation of subsection (3) may bring a civil action for damages, injunctive relief, or both. In addition, a court shall award court costs and reasonable attorney fees to a plaintiff who prevails in an action brought under this subsection. Remedies provided in this subsection are independent of and in addition to other penalties and remedies prescribed by this act.