The Maine Labor Relations 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.