Massachusetts Labor Relations Commission

Established by St 1937, c 436, the Labor Relations Commission (its official name) is a quasi-judicial agency whose purpose is to insure the prompt, peaceful, and fair resolution of labor disputes. Its original jurisdiction was expanded in 1964 (St 1964, c 576), 1973 (St 1973, c 382), and 1977 (St 1977, c 768), as the legislature granted full collective bargaining rights to state and municipal employees in the executive and judicial branches of government. The commission, the state's counterpart to the National Labor Relations Board, administers the Labor Relations Law (MGLA c 150A) and the Public Employee Labor Relations Law (MGLA c 150E), which give employees in both the private and public sectors the right to form, join, or otherwise participate in a union or association; to bargain collectively; to engage in concerted activity for mutual aid and protection; and to refrain from participating in any of these activities.

The commission has three members appointed by the governor, with the approval of his council, for staggered five-year terms. Administratively the commission is within the Executive Office of Labor, but not subject to its jurisdiction. The commission is responsible for the disposition of charges of unfair labor practices; it conducts represention elections and bargaining unit determinations, prevents and terminates strikes, determines agency service fees to be collected by unions, and litigates court appeals to its rulings. In addition it processes requests for binding arbitration.