2010 Wisconsin Code
Chapter 111. Employment relations.
111.83 Representatives and elections.

111.83

111.83 Representatives and elections.

111.83(1)

(1) Except as provided in subs. (5) and (5m), a representative chosen for the purposes of collective bargaining by a majority of the employees voting in a collective bargaining unit shall be the exclusive representative of all of the employees in such unit for the purposes of collective bargaining. Any individual employee, or any minority group of employees in any collective bargaining unit, may present grievances to the employer in person, or through representatives of their own choosing, and the employer shall confer with said employee or group of employees in relation thereto if the majority representative has been afforded the opportunity to be present at the conference. Any adjustment resulting from such a conference may not be inconsistent with the conditions of employment established by the majority representative and the employer.

111.83(2)

(2) Whenever the commission decides to permit employees to determine for themselves whether they desire to establish themselves as a collective bargaining unit, such determination shall be conducted by secret ballot. In such instances, the commission shall cause the balloting to be conducted so as to show separately the wishes of the employees in the voting group involved as to the determination of the collective bargaining unit.

111.83(3)

(3) Whenever a question arises concerning the representation of employees in a collective bargaining unit the commission shall determine the representative thereof by taking a secret ballot of the employees and certifying in writing the results thereof to the interested parties and to the director of the office. There shall be included on any ballot for the election of representatives the names of all labor organizations having an interest in representing the employees participating in the election as indicated in petitions filed with the commission. The name of any existing representative shall be included on the ballot without the necessity of filing a petition. The commission may exclude from the ballot one who, at the time of the election, stands deprived of his or her rights under this subchapter by reason of a prior adjudication of his or her having engaged in an unfair labor practice. The ballot shall be so prepared as to permit a vote against representation by anyone named on the ballot. The commission's certification of the results of any election is conclusive as to the findings included therein unless reviewed under s. 111.07 (8).

111.83(4)

(4) Whenever an election has been conducted under sub. (3) in which the name of more than one proposed representative appears on the ballot and results in no conclusion, the commission may, if requested by any party to the proceeding within 30 days from the date of the certification of the results of the election, conduct a runoff election. In that runoff election, the commission shall drop from the ballot the name of the representative who received the least number of votes at the original election. The commission shall drop from the ballot the privilege of voting against any representative if the least number of votes cast at the first election was against representation by any named representative.

111.83(5)

(5)

111.83(5)(a)

(a) This subsection applies only to the collective bargaining unit specified in s. 111.825 (2) (c).

111.83(5)(b)

(b) Upon filing of a petition with the commission indicating a showing of interest of at least 30% of the employees at an institution who are included within a collective bargaining unit to be represented by a labor organization, the commission shall hold an election in which the employees in that unit at that institution may vote on the question of representation. The labor organization named in any such petition shall be included on the ballot. Within 60 days of the time that an original petition is filed, another petition may be filed with the commission indicating a showing of interest of at least 10% of the employees at the same institution who are included in the same collective bargaining unit to be represented by another labor organization, in which case the name of that labor organization shall be included on the ballot. If more than one original petition is filed within a 30-day period concerning employees in the collective bargaining unit specified in s. 111.825 (2) (c), the results of all elections held pursuant to the petitions shall be announced by the commission at the same time. The ballot shall be prepared in accordance with sub. (3), except as otherwise provided in this subsection.

111.83(5)(c)

(c) Notwithstanding s. 111.825 (2) (c), the employees at any institution included within the collective bargaining unit at which no petition is filed and no election is held or at which the employees indicate, by a majority of those voting in an election, a desire not to participate in collective bargaining are not considered to be a part of that collective bargaining unit.

111.83(5)(d)

(d) If at an election held under par. (b), a majority of the employees voting in the collective bargaining unit at all institutions in which the choice to participate in collective bargaining receives a majority of the votes cast elect to be represented by a single labor organization, that labor organization shall be the exclusive representative for all employees in that collective bargaining unit, except those excluded under par. (c).

111.83(5)(e)

(e) If at an election held under par. (b), a majority of the employees voting in the collective bargaining unit at all institutions in which the choice to participate in collective bargaining receives a majority of the votes cast do not elect to be represented by a single labor organization, the commission may hold one or more runoff elections under sub. (4) until one representative receives a majority of the votes cast.

111.83(5)(f)

(f) Notwithstanding par. (b), if a labor organization is certified to represent the employees within the collective bargaining unit at one or more institutions, and a petition is filed with the commission indicating a showing of interest by the employees at an institution which is not a part of the unit under par. (c) to be represented by a labor organization, the only question which shall appear on the ballot shall be whether the employees desire to participate in collective bargaining. A petition under this paragraph may only be filed during June in an even-numbered year. If a majority of the employees voting at the institution who are included within the collective bargaining unit vote to participate in collective bargaining, the employees at that institution shall become a part of that collective bargaining unit.

111.83(5)(g)

(g) If the collective bargaining unit is represented by a labor organization and a collective bargaining agreement is in effect between that labor organization and the employer, and the employees at an institution who have not voted to become a part of that collective bargaining unit vote to join the unit under par. (f), such action shall become effective on the day that the succeeding collective bargaining agreement between the representative and the employer takes effect.

111.83(5)(h)

(h) If a petition is filed under sub. (6) for the discontinuance of existing representation indicating a showing of interest by 30% of the total number of employees at all institutions at which employees in the collective bargaining unit have voted to become a part of the unit, the commission shall hold an election on that question at all such institutions. If a petition is filed under sub. (6) indicating a showing of interest by 30% of the employees at one or more, but not all, of the institutions at which employees in the collective bargaining unit have voted to become a part of the unit, the commission shall hold an election on that question only at the institution or institutions at which the showing is made. In such an election, the only question appearing on the ballot shall be whether the employees desire to participate in collective bargaining.

111.83(5)(i)

(i) If a petition is filed under sub. (6) for a change of existing representation, the commission shall hold an election on the question in accordance with par. (b), except that participation shall be limited to employees at those institutions included in the collective bargaining unit who have previously voted to become a part of the unit. Runoff elections shall be held, as provided in par. (e), when necessary. At any such election, if a majority of the total number of employees included in the collective bargaining unit at all institutions at which employees have voted to become a part of the unit elect not to participate in collective bargaining, regardless of the result of the vote at any single institution, no representative may be certified by the commission to represent the employees at any institution within that collective bargaining unit, unless a new petition and election is held under par. (b). However, if a majority of the total number of employees included in the collective bargaining unit at all institutions at which employees have voted to become a part of the unit elect to participate in collective bargaining, but a majority of the employees at one or more of the institutions elect not to participate in collective bargaining, then only the employees at those institutions electing not to participate shall not be considered a part of that collective bargaining unit.

111.83(5m)

(5m)

111.83(5m)(a)

(a) This subsection applies only to a collective bargaining unit specified in s. 111.825 (2g).

111.83(5m)(am)

(am)

111.83(5m)(am)1.

1. Subject to subd. 2., the department of health services shall provide a labor organization with the list of home care providers provided to the department of health services under s. 52.20 (5) if any of the following apply:

111.83(5m)(am)1.a.

a. The labor organization demonstrates a showing of interest of at least 3 percent of home care providers included in the collective bargaining unit under s. 111.825 (2g) to be represented by that labor organization.

111.83(5m)(am)1.b.

b. The labor organization is a certified representative of any home care providers in this state.

111.83(5m)(am)1.c.

c. The labor organization was a certified representative of any home care providers in this state prior to July 1, 2009.

111.83(5m)(am)2.

2. A labor organization shall agree to use any list it receives under subd. 1. only for communicating with home care providers concerning the exercise of their rights under s. 111.82 and shall agree to keep the list confidential.

111.83(5m)(b)

(b) Upon the filing of a petition with the commission indicating a showing of interest of at least 30 percent of the home care providers included in the collective bargaining unit under s. 111.825 (2g) to be represented by a labor organization or to change the existing representative, the commission shall hold an election in which the home care providers may vote on the question of representation. The labor organization named in the petition shall be included on the ballot. Within 60 days of the time that the petition is filed, another petition may be filed with the commission indicating a showing of interest of at least 10 percent of the home care providers who are included in the collective bargaining unit under s. 111.825 (2g) to be represented by another labor organization, in which case the name of that labor organization shall also be included on the ballot.

111.83(5m)(c)

(c) If at an election held under par. (b), a majority of home care providers voting in the collective bargaining unit vote for a single labor organization, the labor organization shall be the exclusive representative for all home care providers in that collective bargaining unit. If no single labor organization receives a majority of the votes cast, the commission may hold one or more runoff elections under sub. (4) until one labor organization receives a majority of the votes cast.

111.83(6)

(6) While a collective bargaining agreement between a labor organization and an employer is in force under this subchapter, a petition for an election in the collective bargaining unit to which the agreement applies may only be filed during October in the calendar year prior to the expiration of that agreement. An election held under that petition may be held only if the petition is supported by proof that at least 30% of the employees in the collective bargaining unit desire a change or discontinuance of existing representation. Within 60 days of the time that an original petition is filed, another petition may be filed supported by proof that at least 10% of the employees in the same collective bargaining unit desire a different representative. If a majority of the employees in the collective bargaining unit vote for a change or discontinuance of representation by any named representative, the decision takes effect upon expiration of any existing collective bargaining agreement between the employer and the existing representative.

111.83(7)

(7) Notwithstanding subs. (1), (3) and (6) and s. 111.825 (4), if on July 1, 1997, there is a representative recognized or certified to represent the employees in any of the collective bargaining units specified in s. 111.825 (1) (a) to (e), that representative shall become the representative of the employees in the corresponding collective bargaining units specified in s. 111.825 (1m) (a) to (e), without the necessity of filing a petition or conducting an election, subject to the right of any person to file a petition under this section during October 1998 or at any subsequent time when sub. (6) applies.

111.83 - ANNOT.

History: 1971 c. 270; 1975 c. 238; 1985 a. 42; 1989 a. 336; 1995 a. 27; 2003 a. 33; 2009 a. 28.

111.83 - ANNOT.

Cross Reference: See also ch. ERC 21, Wis. adm. code.