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RI S2409
Bill
Status
1/30/2026
Primary Sponsor
Brian Thompson
Click for details
AI Summary
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Expands collective bargaining scope for municipal employees to cover hours, wages, rates of pay, and all other terms of employment, replacing the previous narrower language of "hours, salary, working conditions"
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Makes arbitration decisions binding on all matters, removing the prior exception for matters involving the expenditure of money
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Requires designated bargaining representatives to have authority to enter into and conclude binding collective bargaining agreements
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Establishes specific factors arbitrators must consider, including: comparison of wages and conditions with similar jobs in the local area, wages in comparably-sized municipalities, public interest and welfare, and job-specific factors like hazards, qualifications, and required training
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Maintains existing contract terms on wages and benefits (except layoff provisions) during negotiations until a successor agreement is reached
Legislative Description
Recognizes that municipal employees have the opportunity to utilize binding arbitration and establishes new factors for the arbitrators to consider. These factors include comparisons of wages/hourly conditions of employment in similarly skilled jobs.
Labor And Labor Relations
Last Action
Introduced, referred to Senate Labor and Gaming
1/30/2026