As Introduced

128th General Assembly
Regular Session
2009-2010
S. B. No. 129


Senator Strahorn 

Cosponsors: Senators Miller, D., Morano, Miller, R. 



A BILL
To amend sections 4117.01 and 4117.03 of the Revised 1
Code to eliminate an exemption from the Public 2
Employees' Collective Bargaining Law for specified 3
educational employees.4


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That sections 4117.01 and 4117.03 of the Revised 5
Code be amended to read as follows:6

       Sec. 4117.01.  As used in this chapter:7

       (A) "Person," in addition to those included in division (C)8
of section 1.59 of the Revised Code, includes employee9
organizations, public employees, and public employers.10

       (B) "Public employer" means the state or any political11
subdivision of the state located entirely within the state,12
including, without limitation, any municipal corporation with a13
population of at least five thousand according to the most recent14
federal decennial census; county; township with a population of at15
least five thousand in the unincorporated area of the township16
according to the most recent federal decennial census; school17
district; governing authority of a community school established18
under Chapter 3314. of the Revised Code; state institution of19
higher learning; public or special district; state agency,20
authority, commission, or board; or other branch of public21
employment.22

       (C) "Public employee" means any person holding a position by23
appointment or employment in the service of a public employer,24
including any person working pursuant to a contract between a25
public employer and a private employer and over whom the national26
labor relations board has declined jurisdiction on the basis that27
the involved employees are employees of a public employer, except:28

       (1) Persons holding elective office;29

       (2) Employees of the general assembly and employees of any30
other legislative body of the public employer whose principal31
duties are directly related to the legislative functions of the32
body;33

       (3) Employees on the staff of the governor or the chief34
executive of the public employer whose principal duties are35
directly related to the performance of the executive functions of36
the governor or the chief executive;37

       (4) Persons who are members of the Ohio organized militia,38
while training or performing duty under section 5919.29 or 5923.1239
of the Revised Code;40

       (5) Employees of the state employment relations board;41

       (6) Confidential employees;42

       (7) Management level employees;43

       (8) Employees and officers of the courts, assistants to the44
attorney general, assistant prosecuting attorneys, and employees45
of the clerks of courts who perform a judicial function;46

       (9) Employees of a public official who act in a fiduciary47
capacity, appointed pursuant to section 124.11 of the Revised48
Code;49

       (10) Supervisors;50

       (11) Students whose primary purpose is educational training,51
including graduate assistants or associates, residents, interns,52
or other students working as part-time public employees less than53
fifty per cent of the normal year in the employee's bargaining54
unit;55

       (12) Employees of county boards of election;56

       (13)(12) Seasonal and casual employees as determined by the57
state employment relations board;58

       (14) Part-time faculty members of an institution of higher59
education;60

       (15)(13) Employees of the state personnel board of review;61

       (16)(14) Participants in a work activity, developmental62
activity, or alternative work activity under sections 5107.40 to63
5107.69 of the Revised Code who perform a service for a public64
employer that the public employer needs but is not performed by an65
employee of the public employer if the participant is not engaged66
in paid employment or subsidized employment pursuant to the67
activity;68

       (17)(15) Employees included in the career professional 69
service of the department of transportation under section 5501.20 70
of the Revised Code;71

       (18)(16) Employees of community-based correctional facilities 72
and district community-based correctional facilities created under 73
sections 2301.51 to 2301.58 of the Revised Code who are not 74
subject to a collective bargaining agreement on June 1, 2005.75

       (D) "Employee organization" means any labor or bona fide76
organization in which public employees participate and that exists77
for the purpose, in whole or in part, of dealing with public78
employers concerning grievances, labor disputes, wages, hours,79
terms, and other conditions of employment.80

       (E) "Exclusive representative" means the employee81
organization certified or recognized as an exclusive82
representative under section 4117.05 of the Revised Code.83

       (F) "Supervisor" means any individual who has authority, in84
the interest of the public employer, to hire, transfer, suspend,85
lay off, recall, promote, discharge, assign, reward, or discipline86
other public employees; to responsibly direct them; to adjust87
their grievances; or to effectively recommend such action, if the88
exercise of that authority is not of a merely routine or clerical89
nature, but requires the use of independent judgment, provided90
that:91

       (1) Employees of school districts who are department92
chairpersons or consulting teachers shall not be deemed93
supervisors;94

       (2) With respect to members of a police or fire department,95
no person shall be deemed a supervisor except the chief of the96
department or those individuals who, in the absence of the chief,97
are authorized to exercise the authority and perform the duties of98
the chief of the department. Where prior to June 1, 1982, a public 99
employer pursuant to a judicial decision, rendered in litigation 100
to which the public employer was a party, has declined to engage 101
in collective bargaining with members of a police or fire 102
department on the basis that those members are supervisors, those 103
members of a police or fire department do not have the rights 104
specified in this chapter for the purposes of future collective 105
bargaining. The state employment relations board shall decide all 106
disputes concerning the application of division (F)(2) of this 107
section.108

       (3) With respect to faculty members of a state institution of 109
higher education, heads of departments or divisions are110
supervisors; however, no other faculty member or group of faculty111
members is a supervisor solely because the faculty member or group112
of faculty members participate in decisions with respect to113
courses, curriculum, personnel, or other matters of academic114
policy;115

       (4) No teacher as defined in section 3319.09 of the Revised116
Code shall be designated as a supervisor or a management level117
employee unless the teacher is employed under a contract governed118
by section 3319.01, 3319.011, or 3319.02 of the Revised Code and119
is assigned to a position for which a license deemed to be for120
administrators under state board rules is required pursuant to121
section 3319.22 of the Revised Code.122

       (G) "To bargain collectively" means to perform the mutual123
obligation of the public employer, by its representatives, and the124
representatives of its employees to negotiate in good faith at125
reasonable times and places with respect to wages, hours, terms,126
and other conditions of employment and the continuation,127
modification, or deletion of an existing provision of a collective128
bargaining agreement, with the intention of reaching an agreement,129
or to resolve questions arising under the agreement. "To bargain130
collectively" includes executing a written contract incorporating131
the terms of any agreement reached. The obligation to bargain132
collectively does not mean that either party is compelled to agree133
to a proposal nor does it require the making of a concession.134

       (H) "Strike" means continuous concerted action in failing to135
report to duty; willful absence from one's position; or stoppage136
of work in whole from the full, faithful, and proper performance137
of the duties of employment, for the purpose of inducing,138
influencing, or coercing a change in wages, hours, terms, and139
other conditions of employment. "Strike" does not include a140
stoppage of work by employees in good faith because of dangerous141
or unhealthful working conditions at the place of employment that142
are abnormal to the place of employment.143

       (I) "Unauthorized strike" includes, but is not limited to,144
concerted action during the term or extended term of a collective145
bargaining agreement or during the pendency of the settlement146
procedures set forth in section 4117.14 of the Revised Code in147
failing to report to duty; willful absence from one's position;148
stoppage of work; slowdown, or abstinence in whole or in part from149
the full, faithful, and proper performance of the duties of150
employment for the purpose of inducing, influencing, or coercing a151
change in wages, hours, terms, and other conditions of employment.152
"Unauthorized strike" includes any such action, absence, stoppage,153
slowdown, or abstinence when done partially or intermittently,154
whether during or after the expiration of the term or extended155
term of a collective bargaining agreement or during or after the156
pendency of the settlement procedures set forth in section 4117.14157
of the Revised Code.158

       (J) "Professional employee" means any employee engaged in159
work that is predominantly intellectual, involving the consistent160
exercise of discretion and judgment in its performance and161
requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or162
learning customarily acquired by a prolonged course in an163
institution of higher learning or a hospital, as distinguished164
from a general academic education or from an apprenticeship; or an165
employee who has completed the courses of specialized intellectual166
instruction and is performing related work under the supervision167
of a professional person to become qualified as a professional168
employee.169

       (K) "Confidential employee" means any employee who works in170
the personnel offices of a public employer and deals with171
information to be used by the public employer in collective172
bargaining; or any employee who works in a close continuing173
relationship with public officers or representatives directly174
participating in collective bargaining on behalf of the employer.175

       (L) "Management level employee" means an individual who176
formulates policy on behalf of the public employer, who177
responsibly directs the implementation of policy, or who may178
reasonably be required on behalf of the public employer to assist179
in the preparation for the conduct of collective negotiations,180
administer collectively negotiated agreements, or have a major181
role in personnel administration. Assistant superintendents,182
principals, and assistant principals whose employment is governed183
by section 3319.02 of the Revised Code are management level184
employees. With respect to members of a faculty of a state185
institution of higher education, no person is a management level186
employee because of the person's involvement in the formulation or187
implementation of academic or institution policy.188

       (M) "Wages" means hourly rates of pay, salaries, or other189
forms of compensation for services rendered.190

       (N) "Member of a police department" means a person who is in191
the employ of a police department of a municipal corporation as a192
full-time regular police officer as the result of an appointment193
from a duly established civil service eligibility list or under194
section 737.15 or 737.16 of the Revised Code, a full-time deputy195
sheriff appointed under section 311.04 of the Revised Code, a196
township constable appointed under section 509.01 of the Revised197
Code, or a member of a township police district police department198
appointed under section 505.49 of the Revised Code.199

       (O) "Members of the state highway patrol" means highway200
patrol troopers and radio operators appointed under section201
5503.01 of the Revised Code.202

       (P) "Member of a fire department" means a person who is in203
the employ of a fire department of a municipal corporation or a204
township as a fire cadet, full-time regular firefighter, or205
promoted rank as the result of an appointment from a duly206
established civil service eligibility list or under section207
505.38, 709.012, or 737.22 of the Revised Code.208

       (Q) "Day" means calendar day.209

       Sec. 4117.03.  (A) Public employees have the right to:210

       (1) Form, join, assist, or participate in, or refrain from211
forming, joining, assisting, or participating in, except as212
otherwise provided in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code, any213
employee organization of their own choosing;214

       (2) Engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of 215
collective bargaining or other mutual aid and protection;216

       (3) Representation by an employee organization;217

       (4) Bargain collectively with their public employers to218
determine wages, hours, terms and other conditions of employment219
and the continuation, modification, or deletion of an existing220
provision of a collective bargaining agreement, and enter into221
collective bargaining agreements;222

       (5) Present grievances and have them adjusted, without the223
intervention of the bargaining representative, as long as the224
adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of the collective225
bargaining agreement then in effect and as long as the bargaining226
representatives have the opportunity to be present at the227
adjustment.228

       (B) Persons on active duty or acting in any capacity as229
members of the organized militia do not have collective bargaining 230
rights.231

       (C) Except as provided in division (D) of this section, 232
nothing in Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code prohibits public 233
employers from electing to engage in collective bargaining, to 234
meet and confer, to hold discussions, or to engage in any other 235
form of collective negotiations with public employees who are not 236
subject to Chapter 4117. of the Revised Code pursuant to division 237
(C) of section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.238

       (D) A public employer shall not engage in collective 239
bargaining or other forms of collective negotiations with the 240
employees of county boards of elections referred to in division 241
(C)(12)(11) of section 4117.01 of the Revised Code.242

       (E) Employees of public schools may bargain collectively for 243
health care benefits; however, all health care benefits shall 244
include best practices prescribed by the school employees health 245
care board, in accordance with section 9.901 of the Revised Code. 246

       Section 2. That existing sections 4117.01 and 4117.03 of the 247
Revised Code are hereby repealed.248