Timeline of Notable Events

1967 — On April 21, Governor Nelson Rockefeller signs the Public Employees’ Fair Employment Act, better known as the Taylor Law.

1967 — On September 1, the Taylor Law becomes effective, as does the New York City Collective Bargaining Law, and the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) is created.

1968 — On January 10, the Amityville Teachers Association becomes the first employee organization certified under the Taylor Law.

1968 — PERB finds five units of state employees to be appropriate — operational services; security services; institutional services; administrative services; and professional, scientific, and technical services. PERB’s decision was later upheld by the Court of Appeals.

1969 — The Governor’s Office of Employee Relations is established to represent the Governor in negotiations with unions representing state employees.

1969 — The Taylor Law is amended, increasing the penalties for strikes and giving PERB the power to prevent improper practices and to enforce the obligation on employers and employee organizations to negotiate in good faith.

1971 — The Taylor Law is amended to exclude managerial and confidential employees from the protection of the Act (but not the prohibition against strikes), upon designation by PERB.

1972 — PERB decides Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority, finding that employer cannot unilaterally alter mandatory terms and conditions of employment contained in an expired agreement until a new agreement is negotiated, unless the employee organization engages in a strike (“the Triborough Doctrine”).

1973 — Negotiations over retirement benefits are prohibited.

1974 — Compulsory interest arbitration is established as the final step for impasses involving local government police officers and firefighters.

1974 — Impasse procedures for educational institutions amended to eliminate legislative hearings.

1977 — PERB’s remedial power expanded to allow PERB to order an offending party to take such affirmative action as will effectuate the policies of the Act, including the reinstatement of employees with or without back-pay. PERB may not assess exemplary damages.

1977 — The agency shop fee is required for state negotiating units and made a mandatory subject of negotiations at the local level.

1982 — Triborough Amendment is enacted, making it an improper practice for an employer to refuse to continue all the terms of an expired agreement until a new agreement is reached, provided the employee organization does not strike. The Amendment applies equally to mandatory and nonmandatory terms in the expired agreement. Enacted in response to the Court of Appeals decision in County of Rockland BOCES v New York State Public Employment Relations Board, 41 NY2d 753 (1977).

1989 — Recognized or certified employee organizations are granted exclusive representational rights with respect to their bargaining units.

1990 — Employee organizations’ duty of fair representation to members is separately codified and, in certain circumstances, employers are made statutory parties to facilitate effective remedial orders.

1992 — Agency fee deduction is required for all public employees represented by a union.

1995 — Injunctive relief pending disposition of improper practice charges is made available.

1995 — Compulsory interest arbitration for state police first provided, but only for compensation and compensation-related issues.

1996 — Non-attorney representation before PERB is authorized.

1998 — Use of state funds to discourage union organization prohibited.

2001 — Compulsory arbitration for security services is provided, compensation-related issues only.

2003 — Compulsory interest arbitration for agency law enforcement police officers and deputy sheriffs is provided, but not for disciplinary or investigatory procedures or assignments. This restriction is subsequently modified as it relates to deputy sheriffs in 2004 so that it only applies to deputy sheriffs directly engaged in law enforcement activities.

2007 — Public employees’ “Weingarten” rights codified, in response to Court of Appeals decision in New York City Transit Authority v. New York State Public Employment Relations Board, 8 NY3d 226 (2007).

2010 — State Employment Relations Board abolished and jurisdiction over cases arising under the State Employment Relations Act is transferred to PERB.

2017 — With the assistance of PERB mediators, the City of New York and the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association of the City of New York reached agreement on a contract. This was only the second voluntary settlement reached between the City and the PBA since 1994.