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Union Station: 2023 sees highest number of public-sector union bills introduced in state legislatures since 2018

Union Station (Organization) Ron DeSantis Ballotpedia Florida Lawsuit

Note: The final edition of Union Station will arrive on June 9. We are so grateful for your readership over the past five years. Want in-depth reporting about federal courts, election policy, school board politics, and more? Check out and subscribe to Ballotpedia’s other newsletters here.

In today’s Union Station:

2023 sees the highest number of public-sector union bills introduced in state legislatures since 2018,
DeSantis signs Florida SB 256 and unions file lawsuits,
And an update on cases we’ve been watching at the Supreme Court.

2023 sees highest number of public-sector union bills introduced in state legislatures since 2018

Ballotpedia is currently tracking 225 public-sector union bills in state legislatures—the most we’ve tracked in any one year since we began covering public-sector union policy ahead of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Janus v. AFSCME in 2018.

Since then, we have tracked an average of 151 bills each year. Until 2023, the year with the highest number of public-sector union bills introduced was 2018 (202 bills), and the year with the fewest was 2020 (102 bills). From 2018 to today, an average of 15 bills have been enacted each year, ranging from five bills in 2020 to 30 bills in 2018.

The chart below shows the breakdown of these bills by sponsor party affiliation. In 2023, Democrats have introduced a higher percentage of these bills than in previous years, at 68% of all bills introduced.

Next month, we’ll take a look at the status of this year’s bills and see which ones have advanced or been enacted so far.

DeSantis signs Florida SB 256, unions file lawsuits

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed Senate Bill 256 on May 9. To read more about the bill in an earlier edition of Union Station, click here.

In part, the bill says that except for unions representing law enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and firefighters—which are exempted from the bill’s provisions—“[A]n employee organization that has been certified as a bargaining agent may not have its dues and uniform assessments deducted and collected by the employer from the salaries of those employees in the unit. A public employee may pay dues and uniform assessments directly to the employee organization that has been certified as the bargaining agent.”

The bill also requires public-sector employees wanting to belong to a union to sign a membership authorization form, requires unions to allow members to revoke membership at any time, requires unions to provide members with an annual audited financial statement, and amends registration and renewal requirements for certified bargaining agents, including requiring recertification if the number of dues-paying union members is less than 60% of eligible employees in the unit.

DeSantis said on Twitter, “By signing the Paycheck Protection Act, Florida teachers will be able to choose how their hard-earned money is spent. School unions will no longer be able to hold teachers’ paychecks hostage with veiled threats while hiding where the money goes.”

On May 9, the Alachua County Education Association, United Faculty of Florida–University of Florida, United Faculty of Florida, and Florida Education Association filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida. A second group of unions filed a lawsuit in state court the same day.

Responses

Support

Americans for Prosperity-Florida state director Skylar Zander said, “Florida lawmakers have made a clear statement to prioritize the state’s workforce over the self-interest of unions.”
Workers for Opportunity senior labor policy advisor Vincent Vernuccio said, “Democracy works, and this is union democracy at its best. … With this new law, Gov. DeSantis and state legislators are empowering Florida teachers to chart their own path forward and requiring more transparency from the unions that have the privilege of representing those teachers.”

Opposition

Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book (D) said, “The Legislature put hurdles in the way of many public unions, taking away voluntary automatic deductions and making it harder for them to exist by adding more red tape. … We can trust teachers to make their own personal choices in how they spend their hard-earned money, and attempting to silence the groups that advocate for better pay and better working conditions is unconstitutional and undemocratic.”
Florida Education Association president Andrew Spar said, “If Gov. DeSantis thinks he will silence us, he’s dead wrong. We will do everything in our power to guarantee that Florida’s teachers, staff, professors and all public employees have a voice in their workplaces. No matter the pushback, educators will continue to stand up for our students, our professions and public education.”

In Kentucky, where lawmakers on March 29 voted to override Gov. Andy Beshear’s (D) veto of Senate Bill 7—which also prohibits public employers from deducting union dues from employee wages—the Kentucky Education Association has asked for a temporary block on the law while their lawsuit is being heard.

Supreme Court updates

Since our last edition, one public-sector union lawsuit we’re tracking has been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court: Kolkowski v. Ashtabula Area Teachers Association. The petitioner’s questions presented are as follows: (1) “Whether a public employee in Ohio under a collective bargaining agreement providing for binding arbitration has the Constitutional right either fundamentally or more specifically under ORC 4117.03(A)(5) to retain counsel to present their grievance under that agreement?” (2) “If not, whether due process rights of public employees Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution require at a minimum a balancing test to be conducted under Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319 (1976) as to the procedural protections ‘due’ when an objective expectancy of an individual liberty or property interest is identified?”

Respondents Ashtabula Area Teachers Association, Ohio Education Association, and Ashtabula Area City Schools Board of Education waived their right to respond, and the case was distributed for the justices’ conference on May 25.

On May 1, the court denied the following petitions:

What we’re reading

The big picture

Number of relevant bills by state

We are currently tracking 225 pieces of legislation dealing with public-sector employee union policy. On the map below, a darker shade of green indicates a greater number of relevant bills. Click here for a complete list of all the bills we’re tracking.

Number of relevant bills by current legislative status

Number of relevant bills by partisan status of sponsor(s)

Recent legislative actions

Below is a complete list of relevant legislative actions taken since our last issue.

Alaska HB179: This bill would prohibit public employers from “[taking] or [threatening] to take an adverse employment action” against employees because they do not attend certain meetings or listen to certain communications, including meetings or communications regarding the “the decision to join or support a … labor organization.”
- Republican sponsorship.
- Read first time, referred to House Labor & Commerce Committee April 26.
Arkansas SB473: This bill would prohibit school districts from deducting union dues or fees from teachers’ or classified employees’ pay.
- Republican sponsorship.
- Governor signed April 12.
Arkansas SB577: This bill would require union membership application forms and withholding request forms to include the following statement: “Both the laws of the State of Arkansas and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution protect public employees from being required to join or financially support a labor organization as a condition of employment. Public employees have the right to join and pay dues to a labor organization or to refrain from joining and paying dues to a labor organization. No public employee may be discriminated against in any manner for joining or financially supporting a labor organization or for refusing to join or financially support a labor organization.”
- Republican sponsorship.
- Died in committee at sine die adjournment May 1.
California AB1: This bill would establish the “Legislature Employer-Employee Relations Act,” which would allow state legislative employees to organize and bargain collectively. The act would go into effect on July 1, 2024.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- From Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee with author’s amendments. Read second time and amended April 17. Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee hearing April 26. Assembly Public Employment and Retirement Committee recommend “do pass.” Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee April 26. Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing May 10, referred to suspense file.
California AB504: This bill would stipulate that it is not a cause for adverse action for state or local public employees to refuse to enter the site of a labor dispute, refuse to perform work for an employer involved in a labor dispute, or refuse to cross a picket line.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing April 18, committee recommends “do pass.” Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing May 3, referred to suspense file.
California AB1484: This bill would require temporary public employees hired to perform similar work to that of permanent public employees to be included in the same bargaining unit as permanent employees, upon the union’s request.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing May 3, referred to suspense file.
California AB1672: This bill, called the “In-Home Supportive Services Employer-Employee Relations Act,” would stipulate that the state is the employer of record for individual in-home supportive services providers for collective bargaining purposes. The bill would stipulate procedures for collective bargaining.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Assembly Appropriations Committee hearing May 3, referred to suspense file.
California SB334: This bill would authorize the Public Employment Relations Board to include the effect of net-zero carbon emissions initiatives on public employees when conducting studies of employer-employee relations.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee recommends do pass and re-refer to Senate Appropriations Committee April 13. Appropriations Committee hearing April 24, placed on suspense file.
California SB716: This bill, which would enact the Excluded Employee Arbitration Act, would allow a union representing certain excluded employees to request binding arbitration in certain circumstances.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor, Public Employment, and Retirement Committee recommends do pass and re-refer to Senate Judiciary Committee April 13. Judiciary Committee hearing April 18. Judiciary Committee recommends do pass and re-refer to Senate Appropriations Committee April 19. Re-referred to Senate Appropriations Committee. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing May 1, placed on suspense file.
Colorado SB111: This bill would give certain public employees the right to express views about union representation and workplace issues, engage in “protected concerted activity for the purpose of mutual aid or protection,” participate in the political process while not at work, and join or not join a union. It would prohibit public employers from retaliating against employees for engaging in such activities. It would stipulate that the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment is responsible for enforcement.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate second reading passed with amendments April 14. Senate third reading passed April 17. Introduced In House, referred to House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee April 17. Committee hearing April 24, referred amended bill to House Appropriations Committee. House Appropriations Committee hearing April 26, referred unamended to House Committee of the Whole. House second reading special order, passed with amendments April 28. House third reading passed, no amendments, April 29. Senate concurred in House amendments and repassed May 2. Senate president signed May 5. Speaker of the House signed May 7. Sent to governor May 8.
Connecticut SB00912: This bill would extend collective bargaining rights to probate court employees as of October 1, 2023.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to Joint Appropriations Committee April 26.
Connecticut SB01199: This bill would provide that anyone holding an adjunct professor permit from the State Board of Education shall be a member of the exclusive bargaining unit for certified employees, unless the employer and bargaining unit agree otherwise.
- Committee-introduced bill.
- Joint Appropriations Committee recommends substitute April 21. Filed with Legislative Commissioners’ Office. Referred to offices of legislative research and fiscal analysis May 1. Reported out of Legislative Commissioners’ Office May 8. Tabled for the calendar.
Delaware SB72: This bill would allow union members to claim a tax credit for the annual cost of union membership, up to $500.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor Committee hearings May 3, May 10. Reported out of Labor Committee May 10, assigned to Senate Finance Committee. Substituted in Senate by Senate Substitute No. 1.
Florida H1445 and Florida S0256: These bills would require public employees who want to be union members to sign a membership authorization form including language specified in the bill. The bills would require unions to allow members to revoke membership at any time. The bills would prohibit public employers from collecting union dues from employees’ pay. The bills would amend registration and renewal requirements for certified bargaining agents. Unions representing law enforcement officers, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, and firefighters are excepted from the provisions of the bills. Committee substitutes would allow for a waiver of certain aspects of the bill for mass transit employee unions.
- Republican sponsorship.
- H1445: Substituted SB256 April 25.
- S0256: First reading in House April 20. Substituted for H1445, read second time April 25. Passed April 26, Senate ordered enrolled. Signed by officers and presented to governor May 8. Governor signed May 9. Chapter No. 2023-35.
Hawaii HB1205: This bill would stipulate that public employee unions are not required to provide grievance representation to members of the bargaining unit who do not pay dues, dues equivalents, or reasonable costs of representation.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House disagreed with Senate amendments April 13. House reconsidered disagreement with Senate amendments April 27. House agreed to Senate amendments May 2. Passed final reading as amended May 2. Sent to governor May 3.
Illinois HB1120: This bill would require certified charter school contract renewals to include a union neutrality clause stating that the school agrees to be “neutral regarding the unionization of any of its employees …,” to provide “labor organization access at reasonable times…,” and to recognize unions “through a majority card check verified by a neutral third-party arbitrator[.]”
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor Committee recommends “do pass” April 27. Second reading May 2. Third reading, passed May 10.
Illinois SB2371: This bill would amend the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act to state that certain assistant state’s attorneys, assistant public defenders, assistant appellate defenders, assistant appellate prosecutors, and Cook County Public Guardian attorneys are not managerial employees for collective bargaining purposes.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to House Labor and Commerce Committee April 18. Labor and Commerce Committee hearings April 26, May 3. Occupational Licenses Subcommittee and Business & Industry Innovation Subcommittee hearings May 3.
Indiana SB0486: This bill would repeal a requirement for school employers to discuss a list of specific topics with exclusive representatives. The bill would instead give school employers the option to discuss “any topic that significantly impacts a certificated employee’s working conditions or impacts the educational quality of the school employer’s students.”
- Republican sponsorship.
- House third reading passed April 17, returned to Senate with amendments April 18. Senate concurred in House amendments April 25. Senate president pro tempore signed April 26.
Maine LD1095: This bill would make an exception to the 10-day deadline for school administrative units and employee bargaining agents to meet for collective bargaining negotiations requested by the other party if there is a prior written contract agreeing otherwise, except that the bill would prohibit the enforcement of “explicit waivers of collective bargaining over wages, hours, working conditions and contract grievance arbitration.”
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House passed as amended, sent to Senate May 2. Senate read once and adopted amendment May 3. Senate read second time and passed as amended May 4. House passed to be enacted May 9, sent for concurrence. Senate passed to be enacted, in concurrence, May 11.
Maine LD1588: This bill would require public employers to provide personal contact information for all public employees to the union representing the bargaining unit within 30 days of a request from the union, in addition to an existing requirement for public employers to provide unions with contact information for new employees.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Joint Labor and Housing Committee hearing, work session held May 10. Divided report.
Maine LD1636: This bill would state that employees, including public employees, have the right to “refrain from paying any dues, fees, assessments or other similar charges, however denominated, of any kind or amount to a labor organization or to a 3rd party or charity in lieu of payment to a labor organization.” The bill would establish penalties and enforcement.
- Republican sponsorship.
- Joint Labor and Housing Committee hearing May 2. Hearing, work session held May 10. Divided report.
Maine LD1707: This bill would strike language from multiple public employee labor statutes stating that “an employee may be required to pay to the organization that is the bargaining agent for the employee a service fee that represents the employee’s pro rata share of those expenditures that are germane to the organization’s representational activities.”
- Republican sponsorship.
- Referred to Joint Labor and Housing Committee April 18. Committee hearing May 2. Hearing, work session held May 10. Divided report.
Maryland HB2: This bill would allow the “amount of union dues paid by an individual during the taxable year that were allowed as a deduction under § 162 of the Internal Revenue Code prior to January 1, 2018, without regard to the limitation imposed by § 67 of the Internal Revenue Code” to be subtracted from Maryland residents’ federal adjusted gross income to determine residents’ state adjusted gross income.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Governor signed May 8.
Maryland HB797: This bill would allow either party to the collective bargaining agreement for Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission employees to request the appointment of a mediator-arbitrator. The bill would establish procedures for mediation-arbitration.
- Sponsored by Montgomery County Delegation and Prince George’s County Delegation.
- Governor signed May 8.
Maryland HB984: This bill would consolidate and amend public employee collective bargaining laws. It would stipulate rights and duties of employers, employees, and unions. The bill would establish the Public Employee Relations Board and repeal other existing boards. The bill would stipulate that public school employers, employees, and unions are subject to Title 21 of the State Government Article.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Governor signed April 24.
Michigan HB4233: This bill would allow public school employers to collect union dues from employees’ wages.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House Labor Committee hearings April 20, May 11. Reported with recommendation, with substitute. Referred To second reading May 11.
Michigan HB4497: This bill would repeal a section of law stating that graduate student research assistants and student athletes are not public employees for the sake of collective bargaining.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Introduced, read first time, referred to House Labor Committee May 2. House Labor Committee hearing May 11.
Michigan SB0169: This bill would require public employers to provide certain contact information to the appropriate bargaining representative within 30 days of hiring a new employee. The bill would require public employers to provide each bargaining representative with certain employment and contact information for all public employees in the unit every 90 days.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor Committee hearings April 20, May 4.
Michigan HB4538: This bill would allow the employment relations commission to certify a union as the exclusive representative for a bargaining unit after (1) investigating a public employee petition alleging that more than 50% of the eligible employees in a unit want to be represented for collective bargaining and (2) holding a hearing determining that more than 50% of the eligible employees in the unit want to be represented for collective bargaining.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Introduced, read first time, referred to House Labor Committee May 9.
Michigan SB0185: This bill would amend the definition of public employee in 1947 PA 336 to remove a possible exception for public school administrators and an exception for graduate student research assistants.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor Committee hearing April 20. Committee reported favorably with substitute April 25. Referred to Committee of the Whole. Passed roll call April 26. House received, read first time, and referred to House Labor Committee April 26. House Labor Committee hearing May 11.
Minnesota HF1522: This bill would include staffing ratios, including class sizes for school employees, in the definition of “terms and conditions of employment” for the purpose of collective bargaining. The bill would allow public employees to authorize payroll deductions for union dues and union political fund contributions. The bill stipulates that public employers and unions are not liable for agency fees deducted before June 27, 2018. This bill would require public employers to provide exclusive representatives with certain personnel data within 10 days of hiring a new employee, and every 120 days for all employees. The bill would require public employers to allow exclusive representatives access to meet with new employees, to contact employees on employer-issued email addresses, and to meet in employer facilities.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to chief clerk for comparison with SF1384 April 26. Bills not identical, SF1384 substituted on general register. HF1522 indefinitely postponed April 27.
Minnesota HF1826 and Minnesota SF1424: These bills would remove a requirement for legislative approval of state employee collective bargaining agreements.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- HF1826: Amended April 18, passed as amended. Introduction and first reading in the Senate April 19. Referred to Senate Rules and Administration Committee for comparison with SF1424. Committee reported amend, substitute SF1424. Second reading April 20. Amended, passed April 25. House State and Local Government Finance and Policy Committee hearing May 1.
- SF1424: HF1826 substituted April 20.
Minnesota SF1384:This bill would allow public employees to authorize payroll deductions for union dues and union political fund contributions. This bill would require public employers to provide exclusive representatives with certain personnel data within 20 days of hiring a new employee, and every 120 days for all employees. The bill would require public employers to allow exclusive representatives access to meet with new employees, to contact employees on employer-issued email addresses, and to meet in employer facilities.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Third reading passed April 25. House received from Senate April 26.First reading, referred for comparison with HF1522. Bills not identical, SF1384 substituted on general register. Second reading April 27. Amended, third reading as amended, passed as amended May 1. Returned to Senate with amendment May 2. Senate did not concur, conference committee requested May 2.
Minnesota SF1426: This omnibus appropriations bill would include a one-time appropriation of $500,000 for the establishment and administration of legislative employee collective bargaining.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Finance Committee hearing April 18, committee recommends to pass as amended. Second reading April 18. Senate Rules and Administration Committeee recommends HF1830 be substituted for SF1426 and SF1426 be indefinitely postponed. Report adopted April 19.
Nevada AB172: This bill would require every local government employer to provide recognized unions with certain contact information for all employees in the bargaining unit twice a year.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Read second time in Assembly, amended April 13. Read third time, passed as amended April 14. Read first time in Senate, referred to Senate Government Affairs Committee April 17. Committee hearing May 8.
Nevada AB211: This bill would authorize supplemental bargaining between local government employers and an exclusive representative for law enforcement dispatchers to negotiate for dispatchers to participate in the Police and Firefighters’ Retirement Fund, under certain circumstances. It would also authorize the same between the State of Nevada Executive Department and an exclusive representative for law enforcement dispatchers.
- Republican sponsorship.
- No further action allowed as of April 15.
Nevada AB224: This bill would authorize collective bargaining between State of Nevada Executive Department employers employing 400 or more professional employees and certain professional employees. The bill would provide for the designation of exclusive representatives and establish collective bargaining procedures.
- Bipartisan sponsorship.
- Assembly Government Affairs Committee recommended “amend and do pass as amended” April 20. Read second time and amended April 21. Sent to Assembly Ways and Means Committee April 24.
Nevada AB377: This bill would deem bailiffs and deputy marshals to be public employees for collective bargaining purposes. The bill would stipulate that the scope of mandatory bargaining is limited to subjects within the control of the county and not within the control of the judiciary.
- Committee-introduced bill.
- No further action allowed as of April 15.
Nevada SB206: This bill would provide that any collective bargaining provision limiting the authority of a school district board of trustees to terminate or reassign a school staff member of a school converted to a department charter school is unenforceable and void.
- Republican sponsorship.
- No further action allowed as of April 15.
Nevada SB251: This bill would include “policies for the transfer and reassignment” of school district employees who are not teachers as mandatory subjects of collective bargaining.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Read second time April 17. Read third time, passed April 25. Read first time in Assembly, referred to Assembly Education Committee April 26. Assembly Education Committee hearing May 11.
Nevada SB264: This bill would add “civilians who provide support services to a law enforcement agency” to a list of local government employees who may be a member of a union only if union membership is limited to law enforcement officers.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Government Affairs Committee recommends “do pass as amended” April 13. Read second time, amended April 17. Read third time, passed as amended April 19. Read first time in Assembly, referred to Assembly Government Affairs Committee April 20. Committee hearing May 2.
North Carolina H614: This bill would refer a measure to the 2024 general election ballot for voters to decide whether to adopt a constitutional amendment “to provide that the right to live includes the right to work, and therefore the right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or nonmembership, or payment or non-payment, in any labor organization.”
- Republican sponsorship.
- Filed April 13. Passed first reading, referred to House Judiciary Committee April 17.
Ohio HB151 and Ohio SB83: These bills would amend a list of public employees who are not allowed to strike to include all employees of public higher education institutions.
- Republican sponsorship.
- HB151: Referred to House Higher Education Committee April 18. Committee hearing May 10.
- SB83: Senate Workforce and Higher Education Committee hearings April 19, May 9.
Oklahoma HB2026: This bill would require the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to provide a state employee union with a monthly report of employees who have opted-in to union membership.
- Republican sponsorship.
- Senate passed April 26, returned to House. Enrolled, sent to governor April 27. Governor signed May 2.
Oregon HB2573: This bill would require the Employment Relations Board to develop procedures for the electronic preparation of authorizations designating bargaining representatives and for the electronic signing of those authorizations.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor and Business Committee work session April 18. Second reading May 2.
Oregon HB2864: This bill would allow unions to charge “reasonable fees and costs for representation that are unrelated to the negotiation of a collective bargaining agreement” to non-union Department of Corrections employees, Oregon Corrections Enterprises employees, and parole or probation officers supervising adult offenders.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Carried over by unanimous consent April 13 through April 24. Third reading, passed April 24. Speaker of the House signed April 26. Senate president signed April 27. Governor signed May 8.
Oregon SB194: This bill would exclude certain Oregon State Police employees from being defined as supervisory employees for collective bargaining purposes.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House Business and Labor Committee public hearing held April 26. Work session May 3. Committee recommends “do pass” May 4. Second reading May 8. Third reading, passed May 11.
Pennsylvania HB946: This bill would stipulate that parties should meet for collective bargaining within 10 days of a request for collective bargaining, and if 120 days pass without reaching an agreement, either party may contact the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mediation. If the bureau is unable to bring about an agreement within 60 days, the bureau must refer the dispute to an arbitration panel to choose between the final offer made by each party.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to House Labor and Industry Committee April 17.
Pennsylvania HB947: This bill would require the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board to update its technology and processes to provide for the secure electronic filing of documents and the use and validation of electronic signatures.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to House Labor and Industry Committee April 17.
Pennsylvania HB950: This bill proposes the following amendment to the state constitution: “Employees shall have the fundamental right to organize and to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing for the purpose of negotiating wages, hours and working conditions, and to protect their economic welfare and safety at work. No law shall be passed that interferes with, negates or diminishes the right of employees to organize and bargain collectively over their wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment and work place safety, including any law or ordinance that prohibits the execution or application of agreements between employers and labor organizations that represent employees requiring membership in an organization as a condition of employment.”
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to House Labor and Industry Committee April 17. Committee hearing May 1, reported as committed. First consideration May 1. Second consideration, with amendments, May 2. Re-committed to House Appropriations Committee May 2. Re-reported as committed May 3. Third consideration and final passage May 3.
Pennsylvania SB644: This bill would prohibit public employers from discontinuing health care benefits while a public employee is engaged in a strike.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Referred to Senate Labor and Industry Committee May 5.
Rhode Island S0426: This bill would establish a dispute arbitration method for municipal employees.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Senate Labor Committee hearing May 3, committee recommends passage. Placed on Senate calendar for May 11.
Tennessee SB0281: As amended, this bill would prohibit local education agencies from deducting union dues from employee wages.
- Republican sponsorship.
- House adopted amendments, passed House as amended April 19. Senate concurred in amendments April 20. Enrolled April 28. Senate speaker signed May 3. House speaker signed May 5. Sent to governor May 9.
Texas HB1579:This bill would stipulate that the requirements the bill imposes for the investigation of municipal firefighters supersede any collective bargaining or meet and confer provisions in conflict with the requirements.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Considered in House Urban Affairs Committee public hearing April 25, left pending in committee. Considered in formal meeting April 27, reported favorably without amendment. Committee report sent to Local & Consent Calendar May 3. Considered in Local & Consent Calendars May 6. Placed on Local, Consent, and Resolutions Calendar May 9. Read second time, passed to engrossment May 9. Read third time, passed May 9. Senate received from House May 10. Read first time, referred to Local Government Committee May 11.
Texas SB736: This bill would establish mandatory binding interest arbitration for fire departments serving a municipality of at least 1.9 million people.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Considered in House Urban Affairs Committee public hearing April 25, left pending in committee. Considered in formal meeting April 27, reported favorably without amendment. Committee report filed with Committee Coordinator May 4. Committee report distributed, sent to Calendars May 5.
Vermont S0102: This bill would allow the State Labor Relations Board to certify a union as an exclusive representative for state employees based on a petition that a majority of members of the bargaining unit have signed. It would also allow unions to bring enforcement actions on behalf of the state for violations of the good cause standard for employment termination established by the bill.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House General and Housing Committee hearing May 4.
Washington HB1122: This bill would grant certain Washington management service members the right to bargain collectively.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- Delivered to governor April 14. Governor signed April 20. Effective Jan. 1, 2024.
Washington HB1200: This bill would require public employers to provide exclusive bargaining representatives with information including employee name, date of hire, contact information, and employment and salary information within 21 business days of hiring a new employee in the bargaining unit. Information for every employee in the unit must be sent to the exclusive bargaining representative every 120 business days.
- Democratic sponsorship.
- House concurred in Senate amendments April 14, passed final passage. House speaker signed April 17, Senate president signed April 18, delivered to governor April 19. Governor signed May 1. Effective date July 23.

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