to writing and implement the negotiated provisions of a collective bargaining
agreement between the County and the Union affecting the County's deputy
sheriffs. The complaint alleged that the County's actions violated Board Rule
6.4(20). Rule 6.4(20) states:
Acceptance of proposed agreement. Where the parties have
reached a proposed (or "tentative") collective bargaining
agreement, the terms of that agreement shall be made public
and the employee organization shall give reasonable notice
of the date, time and place of a ratification election on
the tentative agreement to the public employees; provided,
however, that such notice shall be at least twenty-four
hours prior to the election and the election shall be
within seven days of the date of the tentative agreement.
The vote shall be by secret ballot and only members of
the employee organization shall be entitled to vote
provided, however, that the employee organization may,
pursuant to its internal procedures, extend voting rights
to non-member bargaining unit employees. The employee org-
anization shall within twenty-four hours notify the public
employer whether the proposed agreement has been ratified.
The public employer shall, within ten days of the tentative
agreement, likewise meet to accept or reject the agreement,
and shall within twenty-four hours serve notice on the
employee organization of its acceptance or rejection of the
proposed agreement; provided, however, that the public
employer shall not be required to either accept or reject
the tentative agreement if it has been rejected by the
employee organization.
The above time limits shall not apply to proposed agreements
between the state and any bargaining unit of state employees.
Rule 6.4(20) essentially provides for a procedure whereby labor and management
must ratify the terms of a proposed or "tentative" collective bargaining agree-
ment.
At the hearing the parties requested a determination of a specific
question, and depending upon the answer to the question, the parties also
stipulated to the appropriate remedy. It is clear that the County and the
Union have narrowed the issues giving rise to the prohibited practice com-
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