About the Maine Labor Relations Board
Purpose and Functions
Purpose: The purpose of the Maine Labor Relations
Board and its affiliated organizations, the Panel of Mediators and the State Board
of Arbitration and Conciliation, is to foster and improve the relationship between
public employers and their employees.
The Board's jurisdiction includes employees of the State, municipalities, school
departments, counties, the University of Maine, the Maine Community Colleges,
Maine Maritime Academy and the Judicial Branch.
Functions:
The Board has three primary responsibilities, each of which is comprised of several distinct components.
- Representation Cases:
Facilitate agreement on creation or modification of
bargaining units; in the absence of agreement, conduct evidentiary hearings to fashion or alter the
composition of appropriate bargaining units; and conduct secret ballot elections through which
bargaining unit employees may opt to be represented by a bargaining agent, choose to change
bargaining agents, or decide to decertify their bargaining agent.
- Prohibited Practices Cases: Through a formal, quasi-judicial hearing process: enforce statutory employee rights to engage in collective bargaining activity free from
employer interference, restraint, coercion, or discrimination; enforce the statutory obligation of
employers and employees to engage in collective bargaining in good faith; enforce the statutory
prohibition against public sector strikes, slowdowns, and work stoppages; protect employee
organizations from employer domination; and protect the right of employees to choose their own
representative for purposes of collective bargaining.
- Dispute Resolution Services: Assist parties to reach accord on initial and
successor collective bargaining agreements by providing direct mediation and fact-finding services
through the Panel of Mediators and private fact-finders, and to resolve contract grievance disputes by providing direct conciliation and arbitration services through the Board of Arbitration and
Conciliation.
