Oversight Responsibility
The LRB attends face-to-face grievance meetings with agencies and labor to identify concerns, past practices and possible solutions based on experience with other grievance outcomes to ensure that the settlements do not have a statewide impact on other state agencies.
The LRB attends all Prohibited Practice Complaints (PPC) filed with the state and all grievance arbitration hearings to ensure that state agencies are maintaining compliance and consistency with possible agreements and/or settlements. Attendance also establishes working knowledge of cases and their outcomes to better guide state agencies and ensure the processes are in accordance with PEBA, the law, and the CBA. The Bureau encourages the outcome that is in the best interest of the State and which is consistent with the practices of other state agencies.
On June 19, 2008, the State Personnel Act (SPA) was modified to allow a bargaining unit employee to make an irrevocable election to select the State Personnel Board or an arbitrator to hear their disciplinary appeal. The LRB supports agencies through this process by ranking arbitrators and guiding attorneys.
The LRB provides consultation services to SPO Executive HR Management and other agencies when dealing with reduction in force, furloughs and other union related concerns.
The LRB Director, Sandy Martinez is also co-chair for the Statewide Labor-Management Committee (LMC). The Bureau's involvement as co-chair is vital to the State for knowledge, history and possible statewide impact resulting from the outcomes of such meetings.
The LRB conducts monthly meetings for management personnel, such as the Statewide Contract Agency Representative (SCAR) meeting and the Labor Relations Attorney meeting. The intent of these meetings is to update and educate management on evolving labor issues and to advise attorneys in matters that may require legal action.
Collective Bargaining Agreements
The LRB is distinctively involved in every aspect of CBAs. The Bureau participates in negotiations with the three unions that currently have CBAs and is currently at the table with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) negotiating their first contract with the State. The LRB is responsible for formatting, printing and distributing the contract, while ensuring the language that was agreed upon is the language contained within the contract. After the contract has been distributed, the LRB becomes the overseer for deadlines and specific provisions within the contracts.
The LRB works with agencies and the union if the parties want to draft a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The LRB will determine if the MOU is necessary and will approve or deny the request. This is important because MOUs will then become an extension of the CBA.
Information Library
The LRB is continuously improving processes and procedures that save SPO and the State thousands of dollars in supplies and employee time each year.
The LRB's information library is the collection of arbitrator decisions, the LRB can provide information on an arbitration decision within minutes, cutting research time and increasing productivity.