Session Laws

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:

Section 9 of chapter 150E of the General Laws, as amended by section 2 of chapter 357 of the acts of 1985, is hereby further amended by inserting after the eighth paragraph the following paragraph:-

Upon the filing of a petition pursuant to this section for a determination of an impasse following negotiations for a successor agreement, an employer shall not implement unilateral changes until the collective bargaining process, including mediation, fact finding or arbitration, if applicable, shall have been completed and the terms and conditions of employment shall continue in effect until the collective bargaining process, including mediation, fact finding or arbitration, if applicable, shall have been completed; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall prohibit the parties from extending the terms and conditions of such a collective bargaining agreement by mutual agreement for a period of time in excess of the aforementioned time. For purposes of this paragraph, the board shall certify to the parties that the collective bargaining process, including mediation, fact finding or arbitration, if applicable, has been completed.