D.U.P. No. 2020-5
Synopsis:
The Director of Unfair Practices dismisses an unfair practice charge filed by the Academy for Urban Leadership (Charging Party) against the Academy Urban Leadership Education Association (Respondent). The charge alleges that the Respondent violated section 5.4b(2), (3), and (5) of the New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act (Act) when one of its negotiations representatives, UniServ Field Representative Brian Furry, filed a Notice of Impasse with the Commission thirteen workdays after submitting Respondent’s initial proposals, attempted to misrepresent its counter-proposals and responses, engaged in hostile and belligerent behavior and used racially offensive language, particularly towards Hispanic members of the Charging Party’s negotiations team. The Director finds that the allegedly unlawful conduct committed by the Respondent’s representative occurred during one negotiations session and that there were no facts indicating that the representative engaged in a coercive pattern of conduct designed to interfere with the Charging Party’s choice of its negotiations representative. The Director finds that the Respondent did not breach its duty to negotiate in good faith because Respondent continued to negotiate after filing for Impasse, and the charge did not identify any specific facts supporting its claim that it attempted to conceal its counter-proposals and responses. The Director also finds that Uniserv Representative Furry’s hostile and racially offensive conduct at one negotiations session does not rise to the level of bad faith negotiations. The Director further finds that the charge does not cite the specific rule or regulation allegedly violated, which is necessary to establish a Section 5.4b(5) claim.
PERC Citation:
D.U.P. No. 2020-5, 46 NJPER 140 (¶32 2019)
Appellate History:
Additional:
Miscellaneous:
NJPER Index:
41.21 73.441
Issues:
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