093_HB2360 LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 AN ACT in relation to public employees. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The Illinois Public Labor Relations Act is 5 amended by changing Section 14 as follows: 6 (5 ILCS 315/14) (from Ch. 48, par. 1614) 7 Sec. 14. Security Employee, Peace Officer and Fire 8 Fighter Disputes. 9 (a) In the case of collective bargaining agreements 10 involving units of security employees of a public employer, 11 Peace Officer Units, or units of fire fighters or paramedics, 12 and in the case of disputes under Section 18 of this Act, 13 unless the parties mutually agree to some other time limit, 14 mediation shall commence 30 days prior to the expiration date 15 of such agreement or at such later time as the mediation 16 services chosen under subsection (b) of Section 12 can be 17 provided to the parties. In the case of negotiations for an 18 initial collective bargaining agreement, mediation shall 19 commence upon 15 days notice from either party or at such 20 later time as the mediation services chosen pursuant to 21 subsection (b) of Section 12 can be provided to the parties. 22 In mediation under this Section, if either party requests the 23 use of mediation services from the Federal Mediation and 24 Conciliation Service, the other party shall either join in 25 such request or bear the additional cost of mediation 26 services from another source. The mediator shall have a duty 27 to keep the Board informed on the progress of the mediation. 28 If any dispute has not been resolved within 15 days after the 29 first meeting of the parties and the mediator, or within such 30 other time limit as may be mutually agreed upon by the 31 parties, either the exclusive representative or employer may -2- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 request of the other, in writing, arbitration, and shall 2 submit a copy of the request to the Board. 3 (b) Within 10 days after such a request for arbitration 4 has been made, the employer shall choose a delegate and the 5 employees' exclusive representative shall choose a delegate 6 to a panel of arbitration as provided in this Section. The 7 employer and employees shall forthwith advise the other and 8 the Board of their selections. 9 (c) Within 7 days of the request of either party, the 10 Board shall select from the Public Employees Labor Mediation 11 Roster 7 persons who are on the labor arbitration panels of 12 either the American Arbitration Association or the Federal 13 Mediation and Conciliation Service, or who are members of the 14 National Academy of Arbitrators, as nominees for impartial 15 arbitrator of the arbitration panel. The parties may select 16 an individual on the list provided by the Board or any other 17 individual mutually agreed upon by the parties. Within 7 18 days following the receipt of the list, the parties shall 19 notify the Board of the person they have selected. Unless 20 the parties agree on an alternate selection procedure, they 21 shall alternatively strike one name from the list provided by 22 the Board until only one name remains. A coin toss shall 23 determine which party shall strike the first name. If the 24 parties fail to notify the Board in a timely manner of their 25 selection for neutral chairman, the Board shall appoint a 26 neutral chairman from the Illinois Public Employees 27 Mediation/Arbitration Roster. 28 (d) The chairman shall call a hearing to begin within 15 29 days and give reasonable notice of the time and place of the 30 hearing. The hearing shall be held at the offices of the 31 Board or at such other location as the Board deems 32 appropriate. The chairman shall preside over the hearing and 33 shall take testimony. Any oral or documentary evidence and 34 other data deemed relevant by the arbitration panel may be -3- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 received in evidence. The proceedings shall be informal. 2 Technical rules of evidence shall not apply and the 3 competency of the evidence shall not thereby be deemed 4 impaired. A verbatim record of the proceedings shall be made 5 and the arbitrator shall arrange for the necessary recording 6 service. Transcripts may be ordered at the expense of the 7 party ordering them, but the transcripts shall not be 8 necessary for a decision by the arbitration panel. The 9 expense of the proceedings, including a fee for the chairman, 10 established in advance by the Board, shall be borne equally 11 by each of the parties to the dispute. The delegates, if 12 public officers or employees, shall continue on the payroll 13 of the public employer without loss of pay. The hearing 14 conducted by the arbitration panel may be adjourned from time 15 to time, but unless otherwise agreed by the parties, shall be 16 concluded within 30 days of the time of its commencement. 17 Majority actions and rulings shall constitute the actions and 18 rulings of the arbitration panel. Arbitration proceedings 19 under this Section shall not be interrupted or terminated by 20 reason of any unfair labor practice charge filed by either 21 party at any time. 22 (e) The arbitration panel may administer oaths, require 23 the attendance of witnesses, and the production of such 24 books, papers, contracts, agreements and documents as may be 25 deemed by it material to a just determination of the issues 26 in dispute, and for such purpose may issue subpoenas. If any 27 person refuses to obey a subpoena, or refuses to be sworn or 28 to testify, or if any witness, party or attorney is guilty of 29 any contempt while in attendance at any hearing, the 30 arbitration panel may, or the attorney general if requested 31 shall, invoke the aid of any circuit court within the 32 jurisdiction in which the hearing is being held, which court 33 shall issue an appropriate order. Any failure to obey the 34 order may be punished by the court as contempt. -4- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 (f) At any time before the rendering of an award, the 2 chairman of the arbitration panel, if he is of the opinion 3 that it would be useful or beneficial to do so, may remand 4 the dispute to the parties for further collective bargaining 5 for a period not to exceed 2 weeks. If the dispute is 6 remanded for further collective bargaining the time 7 provisions of this Act shall be extended for a time period 8 equal to that of the remand. The chairman of the panel of 9 arbitration shall notify the Board of the remand. 10 (g) At or before the conclusion of the hearing held 11 pursuant to subsection (d), the arbitration panel shall 12 identify the economic issues in dispute, and direct each of 13 the parties to submit, within such time limit as the panel 14 shall prescribe, to the arbitration panel and to each other 15 its last offer of settlement on each economic issue. The 16 determination of the arbitration panel as to the issues in 17 dispute and as to which of these issues are economic shall be 18 conclusive. The arbitration panel, within 30 days after the 19 conclusion of the hearing, or such further additional periods 20 to which the parties may agree, shall make written findings 21 of fact and promulgate a written opinion and shall mail or 22 otherwise deliver a true copy thereof to the parties and 23 their representatives and to the Board. As to each economic 24 issue, the arbitration panel shall adopt the last offer of 25 settlement which, in the opinion of the arbitration panel, 26 more nearly complies with the applicable factors prescribed 27 in subsection (h). The findings, opinions and order as to 28 all other issues shall be based upon the applicable factors 29 prescribed in subsection (h). 30 (h) Where there is no agreement between the parties, or 31 where there is an agreement but the parties have begun 32 negotiations or discussions looking to a new agreement or 33 amendment of the existing agreement, and wage rates or other 34 conditions of employment under the proposed new or amended -5- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 agreement are in dispute, the arbitration panel shall base 2 its findings, opinions and order upon the following factors, 3 as applicable: 4 (1) The lawful authority of the employer. 5 (2) Stipulations of the parties. 6 (3) The interests and welfare of the public and the 7 financial ability of the unit of government to meet those 8 costs. 9 (4) Comparison of the wages, hours and conditions 10 of employment of the employees involved in the 11 arbitration proceeding with the wages, hours and 12 conditions of employment of other employees performing 13 similar services and with other employees generally: 14 (A) In public employment in comparable 15 communities. 16 (B) In private employment in comparable 17 communities. 18 (5) The average consumer prices for goods and 19 services, commonly known as the cost of living. 20 (6) The overall compensation presently received by 21 the employees, including direct wage compensation, 22 vacations, holidays and other excused time, insurance and 23 pensions, medical and hospitalization benefits, the 24 continuity and stability of employment and all other 25 benefits received. 26 (7) Changes in any of the foregoing circumstances 27 during the pendency of the arbitration proceedings. 28 (8) Such other factors, not confined to the 29 foregoing, which are normally or traditionally taken into 30 consideration in the determination of wages, hours and 31 conditions of employment through voluntary collective 32 bargaining, mediation, fact-finding, arbitration or 33 otherwise between the parties, in the public service or 34 in private employment. -6- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 (i) In the case of peace officers, the arbitration 2 decision shall be limited to wages, hours, and conditions of 3 employment (which may include residency requirements in 4 municipalities with a population under 1,000,000, but those 5 residency requirements shall not allow residency outside of 6 Illinois) and shall not include the following: i) residency 7 requirements in municipalities with a population of at least 8 1,000,000; ii) the type of equipment, other than uniforms, 9 issued or used; iii) manning; iv) the total number of 10 employees employed by the department; v) mutual aid and 11 assistance agreements to other units of government; and vi) 12 the criterion pursuant to which force, including deadly 13 force, can be used; provided, nothing herein shall preclude 14 an arbitration decision regarding equipment or manning levels 15 if such decision is based on a finding that the equipment or 16 manning considerations in a specific work assignment involve 17 a serious risk to the safety of a peace officer beyond that 18 which is inherent in the normal performance of police duties. 19 Limitation of the terms of the arbitration decision pursuant 20 to this subsection shall not be construed to limit the 21 factors upon which the decision may be based, as set forth in 22 subsection (h). 23 In the case of fire fighter, and fire department or fire 24 district paramedic matters, the arbitration decision shall be 25 limited to wages, hours, and conditions of employment (which 26 may include residency requirements in municipalities with a 27 population under 1,000,000, but those residency requirements 28 shall not allow residency outside of Illinois) and shall not 29 include the following matters: i) residency requirements in 30 municipalities with a population of at least 1,000,000; ii) 31 the type of equipment (other than uniforms and fire fighter 32 turnout gear) issued or used; iii) the total number of 33 employees employed by the department; iv) mutual aid and 34 assistance agreements to other units of government; and v) -7- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 the criterion pursuant to which force, including deadly 2 force, can be used; provided, however, nothing herein shall 3 preclude an arbitration decision regarding equipment levels 4 if such decision is based on a finding that the equipment 5 considerations in a specific work assignment involve a 6 serious risk to the safety of a fire fighter beyond that 7 which is inherent in the normal performance of fire fighter 8 duties. Limitation of the terms of the arbitration decision 9 pursuant to this subsection shall not be construed to limit 10 the facts upon which the decision may be based, as set forth 11 in subsection (h). 12 The changes to this subsection (i) made by Public Act 13 90-385 (relating to residency requirements) do not apply to 14 persons who are employed by a combined department that 15 performs both police and firefighting services; these persons 16 shall be governed by the provisions of this subsection (i) 17 relating to peace officers, as they existed before the 18 amendment by Public Act 90-385. 19 To preserve historical bargaining rights, this subsection 20 shall not apply to any provision of a fire fighter collective 21 bargaining agreement in effect and applicable on the 22 effective date of this Act; provided, however, nothing herein 23 shall preclude arbitration with respect to any such 24 provision. 25 (j) Arbitration procedures shall be deemed to be 26 initiated by the filing of a letter requesting mediation as 27 required under subsection (a) of this Section. The 28 commencement of a new municipal fiscal year after the 29 initiation of arbitration procedures under this Act, but 30 before the arbitration decision, or its enforcement, shall 31 not be deemed to render a dispute moot, or to otherwise 32 impair the jurisdiction or authority of the arbitration panel 33 or its decision. Increases in rates of compensation awarded 34 by the arbitration panel may be effective only at the start -8- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 of the fiscal year next commencing after the date of the 2 arbitration award. If a new fiscal year has commenced either 3 since the initiation of arbitration procedures under this Act 4 or since any mutually agreed extension of the statutorily 5 required period of mediation under this Act by the parties to 6 the labor dispute causing a delay in the initiation of 7 arbitration, the foregoing limitations shall be inapplicable, 8 and such awarded increases may be retroactive to the 9 commencement of the fiscal year, any other statute or charter 10 provisions to the contrary, notwithstanding. At any time the 11 parties, by stipulation, may amend or modify an award of 12 arbitration. 13 (k) Orders of the arbitration panel shall be reviewable, 14 upon appropriate petition by either the public employer or 15 the exclusive bargaining representative, by the circuit court 16 for the county in which the dispute arose or in which a 17 majority of the affected employees reside, but only for 18 reasons that the arbitration panel was without or exceeded 19 its statutory authority; the order is arbitrary, or 20 capricious; or the order was procured by fraud, collusion or 21 other similar and unlawful means. Such petitions for review 22 must be filed with the appropriate circuit court within 90 23 days following the issuance of the arbitration order. The 24 pendency of such proceeding for review shall not 25 automatically stay the order of the arbitration panel. The 26 party against whom the final decision of any such court shall 27 be adverse, if such court finds such appeal or petition to be 28 frivolous, shall pay reasonable attorneys' fees and costs to 29 the successful party as determined by said court in its 30 discretion. If said court's decision affirms the award of 31 money, such award, if retroactive, shall bear interest at the 32 rate of 12 percent per annum from the effective retroactive 33 date. 34 (l) During the pendency of proceedings before the -9- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 arbitration panel, existing wages, hours, and other 2 conditions of employment shall not be changed by action of 3 either party without the consent of the other but a party may 4 so consent without prejudice to his rights or position under 5 this Act. The proceedings are deemed to be pending before 6 the arbitration panel upon the initiation of arbitration 7 procedures under this Act. 8 (m) Security officers of public employers, and Peace 9 Officers, Fire Fighters and fire department and fire 10 protection district paramedics, covered by this Section may 11 not withhold services, nor may public employers lock out or 12 prevent such employees from performing services at any time. 13 (n) All of the terms decided upon by the arbitration 14 panel shall be included in an agreement to be submitted to 15 the public employer's governing body for ratification and 16 adoption by law, ordinance or the equivalent appropriate 17 means. 18 The governing body shall review each term decided by the 19 arbitration panel. If the governing body fails to reject one 20 or more terms of the arbitration panel's decision by a 3/5 21 vote of those duly elected and qualified members of the 22 governing body, within 20 days of issuance, or in the case of 23 firefighters employed by a state university, at the next 24 regularly scheduled meeting of the governing body after 25 issuance, such term or terms shall become a part of the 26 collective bargaining agreement of the parties. If the 27 governing body affirmatively rejects one or more terms of the 28 arbitration panel's decision, it must provide reasons for 29 such rejection with respect to each term so rejected, within 30 20 days of such rejection and the parties shall return to the 31 arbitration panel for further proceedings and issuance of a 32 supplemental decision with respect to the rejected terms. 33 Any supplemental decision by an arbitration panel or other 34 decision maker agreed to by the parties shall be submitted to -10- LRB093 06119 JAM 06224 b 1 the governing body for ratification and adoption in 2 accordance with the procedures and voting requirements set 3 forth in this Section. The voting requirements of this 4 subsection shall apply to all disputes submitted to 5 arbitration pursuant to this Section notwithstanding any 6 contrary voting requirements contained in any existing 7 collective bargaining agreement between the parties. 8 (o) If the governing body of the employer votes to 9 reject the panel's decision, the parties shall return to the 10 panel within 30 days from the issuance of the reasons for 11 rejection for further proceedings and issuance of a 12 supplemental decision. All reasonable costs of such 13 supplemental proceeding including the exclusive 14 representative's reasonable attorney's fees, as established 15 by the Board, shall be paid by the employer. 16 (p) Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section the 17 employer and exclusive representative may agree to submit 18 unresolved disputes concerning wages, hours, terms and 19 conditions of employment to an alternative form of impasse 20 resolution. 21 (Source: P.A. 89-195, eff. 7-21-95; 90-202, eff. 7-24-97; 22 90-385, eff. 8-15-97; 90-655, eff. 7-30-98.)