2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 7 - Municipalities
Chapter 113 - Municipal Employees
Section 7-470 - Prohibited acts of employers and employee organizations.

(a) Municipal employers or their representatives or agents are prohibited from: (1) Interfering, restraining or coercing employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in section 7-468; (2) dominating or interfering with the formation, existence or administration of any employee organization; (3) discharging or otherwise discriminating against an employee because he has signed or filed any affidavit, petition or complaint or given any information or testimony under sections 7-467 to 7-477, inclusive; (4) refusing to bargain collectively in good faith with an employee organization which has been designated in accordance with the provisions of said sections as the exclusive representative of employees in an appropriate unit; (5) refusing to discuss grievances with the representatives of an employee organization designated as the exclusive representative in an appropriate unit in accordance with the provisions of said sections; (6) refusing to comply with a grievance settlement, or arbitration settlement, or a valid award or decision of an arbitration panel or arbitrator rendered in accordance with the provisions of section 7-472.

(b) Employee organizations or their agents are prohibited from: (1) Restraining or coercing (A) employees in the exercise of the rights guaranteed in subsection (a) of section 7-468, and (B) a municipal employer in the selection of his representative for purposes of collective bargaining or the adjustment of grievances; (2) refusing to bargain collectively in good faith with a municipal employer, if it has been designated in accordance with the provisions of sections 7-467 to 7-477, inclusive, as the exclusive representative of employees in an appropriate unit; (3) breaching their duty of fair representation pursuant to section 7-468; (4) refusing to comply with a grievance settlement, or arbitration settlement, or a valid award or decision of an arbitration panel or arbitrator rendered in accordance with the provisions of section 7-472.

(c) For the purposes of said sections, to bargain collectively is the performance of the mutual obligation of the municipal employer or his designated representatives and the representative of the employees to meet at reasonable times, including meetings appropriately related to the budget-making process, and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours and other conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement, or any question arising thereunder, and the execution of a written contract incorporating any agreement reached if requested by either party, but such obligation shall not compel either party to agree to a proposal or require the making of a concession.

(February, 1965, P.A. 159, S. 4; P.A. 75-189, S. 1, 2; P.A. 93-426, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 75-189 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to prohibit refusing to comply terms of settlements, awards and decisions; P.A. 93-426 inserted new Subsec. (b)(3) to prohibit an employee organization which represents municipal employees from breaching its duty of fair representation to its members and redesignated existing Subdiv. (3) as (4).

Cited. 154 C. 530. Plaintiff union's appeal from defendant labor relations board properly dismissed by Superior Court where there was no evidence that municipality engaged in unfair labor practices claimed in union's complaint. 159 C. 46. Cited. 171 C. 345, 349; Id., 347, 564; 175 C. 349. Standing to test constitutionality of binding arbitration provisions of Municipal Employees Relations Act discussed. 181 C. 421. Cited. 182 C. 93; 185 C. 88; 196 C. 192; 200 C. 38; 201 C. 577; 204 C. 746; 205 C. 116; 210 C. 549; 212 C. 294; 215 C. 14; 221 C. 244; 225 C. 297; 234 C. 123.

Cited. 3 CA 1; 16 CA 232; 33 CA 541.

A public announcement of plaintiff's intention to file a prohibited practice complaint against a union is protected by the Municipal Employees Relations Act when the complaint is actually filed at a later date. 31 CS 7. The clause in a contract between a municipality and its firemen which gives the firemen parity with police is a restraint upon and interference with the police union's ability to negotiate with the municipality. Id., 15, 22. Residency requirement for municipal employees was condition of employment and therefore a mandatory subject of collective bargaining, and employer's unilateral change of such condition of employment was prohibited act; failure of union to demand bargaining prior to enactment of ordinance did not constitute a waiver of its right to bargain. 36 CS 18. Cited. 40 CS 365; 42 CS 227; 43 CS 340; Id., 470.

Subsec. (a):

Subdiv. (1): Labor board cannot compel either party, directly or indirectly, to agree to any contractual position but can require that employees bargain in good faith. 160 C. 285. Cited. 171 C. 349. Subdiv. (4): Unilateral change of pension benefits by employer did not constitute refusal to bargain where union had notice of change and opportunity to negotiate the issue. 173 C. 210. Cited. 206 C. 449; 210 C. 597; 217 C. 110; 232 C. 57. Term “grievance settlement” within Subdiv. (6) encompasses an unappealed grievance decision; State Board of Labor Relations' time-tested interpretation of term is reasonable and consistent with its use as a term of art in the labor law context, there was no merit to argument that legislature intended to make a distinction between grievance decision and grievance settlement and there was nothing in statutory language or legislative history that contravened board's interpretation. 259 C. 251.

Cited. 8 CA 57. Substantial evidence supported denial by State Board of Labor Relations of union's complaint alleging that supervisory personnel employed by city department of public works engaged in prohibited conduct. 156 CA 79.

Cited. 39 CS 338.

Subsec. (c):

Collective bargaining must be taken at reasonable time relative to town's budget-making process. 160 C. 285. Cited. 162 C. 579; 171 C. 352, 353. “Conditions of employment” includes whether person shall continue in employment. Id., 553, 559, 560. Cited. 210 C. 597; 216 C. 253; 224 C. 666; 232 C. 57.