HOUSE BILL No. 6528

 

September 14, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Pavlov, Acciavatti and Garfield and referred to the Committee on Education.

 

     A bill to amend 1947 PA 336, entitled

 

"An act to prohibit strikes by certain public employees; to provide

review from disciplinary action with respect thereto; to provide

for the mediation of grievances and the holding of elections; to

declare and protect the rights and privileges of public employees;

and to prescribe means of enforcement and penalties for the

violation of the provisions of this act,"

 

by amending section 2a (MCL 423.202a), as added by 1994 PA 112.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 2a. (1) If a public school employer alleges that there is

 

a strike by 1 or more public school employees in violation of

 

section 2, the public school employer shall immediately notify the

 

commission of the alleged strike. In addition, if a public school

 

employer fails to notify the commission of an alleged strike by 1

 

or more of its public school employees within 24 hours after a


 

strike is alleged to have commenced, a person who is a parent or

 

legal guardian of a pupil enrolled in a school or program operated

 

by the public school employer and who believes that a strike by 1

 

or more public school employees of that employer has occurred may

 

notify the commission of the alleged strike. Upon request by the

 

commission, the public school employer or other person making the

 

allegation shall notify the commission of the full or partial days

 

a public school employee was allegedly engaged in the  alleged

 

strike.

 

     (2) If a bargaining representative alleges that there is a

 

lockout by a public school employer in violation of section 2, the

 

bargaining representative shall notify the commission of the full

 

or partial days of the alleged lockout.

 

     (3) Within  60  7 days after receipt of a notice made pursuant

 

to subsection (1) or (2), the commission shall conduct a hearing to

 

determine if there has been a violation and shall issue its

 

decision and order. A hearing conducted under this subsection is

 

separate and distinct from, and is not subject to the procedures

 

and timelines of, a proceeding conducted under section 6.

 

     (4) If, after a hearing under subsection (3), a majority of

 

the commission finds that 1 or more public school employees engaged

 

in a strike in violation of section 2, the commission shall fine

 

each public school employee an amount equal to 1 day of pay for

 

that public school employee for each full or partial day that he or

 

she engaged in the strike and shall fine the bargaining

 

representative of the public school employee or employees $5,000.00

 

for each full or partial day the public school employee or


 

employees engaged in the strike.

 

     (5) If, after a hearing under subsection (3), a majority of

 

the commission finds that a public school employer instituted a

 

lockout in violation of section 2, the commission shall fine the

 

public school employer $5,000.00 for each full or partial day of

 

the lockout and shall fine each member of the public school

 

employer's governing board $250.00 for each full or partial day of

 

the lockout.

 

     (6) If the commission imposes a fine against a public school

 

employee under subsection (4) and the public school employee

 

continues to be employed by a public school employer, the

 

commission shall order the public school employer to deduct the

 

fine from the public school employee's annual salary. The public

 

school employee's annual salary is the annual salary that is

 

established in the applicable contract in effect at the time of the

 

strike or, if no applicable contract is in effect at the time of

 

the strike, in the applicable contract in effect at the time of the

 

decision and order. However, if no applicable contract is in effect

 

at either of those times, the public school employee's annual

 

salary shall be considered to be the annual salary that applied or

 

would have applied to the public school employee in the most recent

 

applicable contract in effect before the strike. A public school

 

employer shall comply promptly with an order under this subsection.

 

A deduction under this subsection is not a demotion for the

 

purposes of  Act No. 4 of the Extra Session of 1937, being sections

 

38.71 to 38.191 of the Michigan Compiled Laws  1937 (Ex Sess) PA 4,

 

MCL 38.71 to 38.191.


 

     (7) The commission shall transmit money received from fines

 

imposed under this section, and a public school employer shall

 

transmit money deducted pursuant to an order under subsection (6),

 

to the state treasurer for deposit in the state school aid fund

 

established under section 11 of article IX of the state

 

constitution of 1963.

 

     (8) If the commission does not receive payment of a fine

 

imposed under this section within 30 days after the imposition of

 

the fine, or if a public school employer does not deduct a fine

 

from a public school employee's pay pursuant to an order under

 

subsection (6), the commission shall institute collection

 

proceedings.

 

     (9) Fines imposed under this section are in addition to all

 

other penalties prescribed by this act and by law.

 

     (10) A public school employer may bring an action to enjoin a

 

strike by public school employees in violation of section 2, and a

 

bargaining representative may bring an action to enjoin a lockout

 

by a public school employer in violation of section 2, in the

 

circuit court for the county in which the affected public school is

 

located. A court having jurisdiction of an action brought under

 

this subsection shall grant injunctive relief if the court finds

 

that a strike or lockout has occurred, without regard to the

 

existence of other remedies, demonstration of irreparable harm, or

 

other factors. Failure to comply with an order of the court may be

 

punished as contempt. In addition, the court shall award court

 

costs and reasonable attorney fees to a plaintiff who prevails in

 

an action brought under this subsection.


 

     (11) A public school employer shall not provide to a public

 

school employee or to a board member any compensation or additional

 

work assignment that is intended to reimburse the public school

 

employee or board member for a monetary penalty imposed under this

 

section or that is intended to allow the public school employee or

 

board member to recover a monetary penalty imposed under this

 

section.

 

     (12) As used in this section, "public school employee" means a

 

person employed by a public school employer.