1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to labor relations; providing special 
  1.3             arbitration provisions for a certain bargaining unit; 
  1.4             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 179A.16, by 
  1.5             adding a subdivision. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 179A.16, is 
  1.8   amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 1a.  [UNIT 9 ARBITRATION.] An exclusive 
  1.10  representative or an employer of employees in the unit described 
  1.11  in section 179A.10, subdivision 2, clause (9), may request and 
  1.12  shall be granted interest arbitration by providing written 
  1.13  notice of the request to the other party and the commissioner.  
  1.14  The form for arbitrations under this subdivision is final-offer 
  1.15  total-package arbitration, unless both parties agree to an 
  1.16  alternative form. 
  1.17     Before a party may request arbitration under this 
  1.18  subdivision, the party shall petition the commissioner for 
  1.19  mediation services under section 179A.15.  If the commissioner 
  1.20  determines that mediation would be useful in resolving the 
  1.21  dispute, the mediation shall commence within 15 days of the 
  1.22  petition for mediation.  If the parties are in mediation for 45 
  1.23  or more days, either party may request and be granted interest 
  1.24  arbitration under this subdivision.  If the commissioner 
  1.25  determines that mediation would not be useful, the commissioner 
  2.1   shall notify the parties and the parties then may request and be 
  2.2   granted interest arbitration under this subdivision. 
  2.3      Sec. 2.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  2.4      Section 1 is effective for contracts applying to the period 
  2.5   of July 1, 1997, through June 30, 1999.