HB 2253 Summary

• Establishes the Public Employee Bargaining Act by creating a comprehensive legal framework in Arizona Revised Statutes Title 23, Chapter 8, Article 7 governing collective bargaining rights for public employees.

• Grants public employees the right to form, join, and participate in labor organizations; be represented by exclusive representatives in negotiations; and engage in concerted activities, while prohibiting strikes and lockouts by both employees and employers.

• Creates the Public Employee Labor Relations Board with three members appointed by the governor to oversee union certification, conduct elections, designate bargaining units, and enforce prohibited labor practices by both public employers and labor organizations.

• Authorizes public employers and exclusive representatives to bargain collectively in good faith on wages, hours, and employment terms, with mandatory grievance procedures and binding arbitration for dispute resolution.

• Terminates the Public Employee Labor Relations Board on July 1, 2024, and repeals the entire Public Employee Bargaining Act on January 1, 2025, making this legislation temporary in nature.