705. Representatives and elections. 1. Representatives designated by the board after a showing of majority interest or selected for the purposes of collective bargaining by the majority of the employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes or by the majority of the employees voting in an election conducted pursuant to this section shall be the exclusive representatives of all the employees in the appropriate unit for the purposes of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment: Provided, that employees, directly or through representatives, shall have the right at any time to present grievances to their employer.
The board shall designate a representative for purposes of collective bargaining when such representative demonstrates a showing of majority interest by employees in the unit. In cases where the parties to a dispute are without agreement on the means to ascertain the choice, if any, of employee organization as their representative, the board shall ascertain such employees' choice of employee organization, on the basis of dues deduction authorization and other evidence, or if necessary by conducting an election. In the event that either party provides to the board, prior to the designation of a representative, clear and convincing evidence that the dues deduction authorizations, and other evidence upon which the board would otherwise rely to ascertain the employees' choice of representative, are fraudulent or were obtained through coercion, the board shall promptly thereafter conduct an election. The board shall also investigate and consider a party's allegations that the dues deduction authorizations and other evidences submitted in support of a designation of representative without an election were subsequently changed, altered, withdrawn or withheld as a result of employer fraud, coercion or any other unfair employer labor practice as defined in section seven hundred four of this article. If the board determines that a representative would have had a majority interest but for the employer's fraud, coercion or unfair labor practice, it shall designate the representative without the conduct of an election.
2. The board shall decide in each case whether, in order to insure to employees the full benefit of their right to self-organization, to collective bargaining and otherwise to effectuate the policies of this article, the unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining shall be the employer unit, multiple employer unit, craft unit, plant unit, or any other unit; provided, however, that in any case where the majority of employees of a particular craft, or in the case of a non-profitmaking hospital or residential care center where the majority of employees of a particular profession or craft, shall so decide the board shall designate such profession or craft as a unit appropriate for the purpose of collective bargaining.
3. Whenever it is alleged by an employee or his representative, or by an employer or his representative, that there is a question or controversy concerning the representation of employees, the board shall investigate such question or controversy and certify in writing to all persons concerned the name or names of the representatives who have been designated or selected. In any such investigation the board shall provide for an appropriate hearing upon due notice, either in conjuction with a proceeding under section seven hundred six or otherwise, and may conduct an election by secret ballot of employees, or use any other suitable method to ascertain such representatives (either before or after the aforesaid hearing), provided, however, that the board shall not have authority to investigate or determine any question or controversy between individuals or groups within the same labor organization nor between labor organizations affiliated with the same parent labor organization concerning the internal affairs of any labor organization but nothing contained in this proviso shall be deemed to preclude the board from investigating and determining which, if any, of affiliated groups or labor organizations have been designated or selected by employees as their representatives for the purposes of collective bargaining within the meaning of this article.
4. The board shall have power to determine who may participate in the election and to establish the rules governing any such election: Provided, that no election need be directed by the board solely because of the request of an employer or of employees prompted thereto by their employer, nor shall any individuals employed only for the duration of a strike or lockout be eligible to vote in such election; and provided further, that no such election shall be conducted under the employer's supervision, or, except as may be required by the board, on the employer's property, during working hours, or with his participation or assistance.
5. If at an election conducted pursuant to this section three or more nominees for exclusive collective bargaining representatives appear on the ballot and no one of them receives a majority of the votes cast at the election, the two nominees who received the highest number of votes shall appear on the ballot of a second election to be conducted hereunder, and the one receiving a majority of the votes cast at the second election shall be the exclusive representative of all the employees in such unit for the purpose of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment, or other conditions of employment.
6. A labor organization nominated as the representative of employees shall be listed by name on the ballots authorized by subdivision three of this section. In any investigation conducted by the board pursuant to this section the board may make a finding as to whether any committee, employee representation plan, or association of employees involved is a company union, and if any such committee, employee representation plan, or association of employees be found to be a company union, it shall not be listed on the ballots, certified or otherwise recognized as eligible to be the representative of employees under this article.
Last modified: February 3, 2019