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Employee Organization Activities
DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE & FINANCIAL SERVICES
Bureau of Employee Relations
Telephone (207) 287-4447
FAX (207) 287-4452 TDD (207) 287-4537
No.: OSER-5
Date: October 23, 1974
SUBJECT: Employee Organization Activities
TO: All Holders of Employee Relations Manual
FROM: Lanning S. Mosher, Director
State officials and employee organization representatives have raised questions concerning employee organization activities in the period prior to the determination of bargaining units and the recognition or certification of bargaining agents. This memorandum outlines the State's policy for this period and supersedes OSER-1 and OSER-3. If elections to determine bargaining agents are scheduled by the Maine Public Employees Labor Relations Board (PELRA), appropriate information concerning the conduct of such elections will be issued.
State Objective
It is public policy under the State Employees Labor Relations Act: ". . . to promote the improvement of the relationship between the State of Maine and its employees by providing a uniform basis for recognizing the right of State employees to join labor organizations of their own choosing and to be represented by such organizations in collective bargaining for terms and conditions of employment." (Section 979.)
Protected Employee Rights
Towards this end, the Act confers certain rights to State employees, ". . . voluntarily to join, form and participate in the activities or organizations of their own choosing for the purposes of representation and collective bargaining . . .," and protects these rights, in general terms, "No one shall directly or indirectly interfere with, intimidate, restrain, coerce or discriminate against State employees or a group of State employees in the free exercise of their rights . . . under this chapter," and by specifically prohibiting
