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• Introduced by Rep. Glenn Cummings (D) on December 21, 2007, This bill amends the labor relations laws for municipal public employees, state employees, judicial employees, and employees of the University of Maine System, the Maine Maritime Academy and the Maine Community College System to: 1. Require the Executive Director of the Maine Labor Relations Board to conduct a hearing in the event of a dispute over the appropriateness of the composition of the proposed bargaining unit. The hearing must be scheduled to occur within 15 days of the filing of the petition, with the goal of completing the election within 45 days; 2. Require an employer to recognize an employee organization that demonstrates majority support by the bargaining unit employees. Current law allows an employer to voluntarily recognize an employee organization or to ask for an election. Under this bill, unless the employer shows good cause to the board to believe that the majority support was obtained by fraud or duress, the employer must recognize the employee organization; and 3. Make final the review by the Maine Labor Relations Board of a decision of the executive director. Current law allows a party to appeal the board’s decision to the Superior Court. This bill removes that right and also removes the procedural specifications for how the board is to issue its decision. the bill also standardizes the language of these labor relations laws, amending the laws to bring them into conformity with current drafting standards .
  • Referred to the Labor Committee on December 21, 2007.
• Passed in the House by voice vote on December 27, 2007.
• Received in the Senate on February 28, 2008.
• Failed in the Senate by voice vote on February 28, 2008, the senate/or house decided against further actions and the bill is dead.