A contract, by law, is any agreement made between two individuals or groups, otherwise known as parties. Ohio has several laws to ensure labor contracts made between contractors and unions are not designed to exploit workers.
Public Contractors
If a company has a contract with a government organization to provide a service, and has entered an agreement with a labor organization, any company that takes over that government contract must carry out the agreement with the labor group for as long as that agreement lasts. Exceptions include government organizations themselves or employers controlled by the National Labor Relations Board (such as companies registered in another state but do business in Ohio).
When a government organization gives a construction contract to a private company, it may not require the company to enter into any agreements with a labor organization (such as a union), nor force the company employees to join a union or pay union dues.
General Employees and Unions
The state will not recognize any agreement not to join a labor union. State labor codes, like Ohio's, often stand against this practice to protect the employee. Employers have in the past required those applying for a job to agree not to join a union (self-organized group) of employees in exchange for work.
The labor code lists many guidelines for agreements between an employee union and an employer, usually called collective bargaining agreements. State officials protect anyone reporting a law broken during collective bargaining, called whistleblowing. On several occasions (such as section 4111.12), it clarifies that no part of the code should be interpreted as doing away with an employee's right to join with other employees and bargain for new terms of employment.
Public Employment Contracts
Employee unions in government workplaces, along with their employers, are mediated by the state employment relations board (ERB). This board enforces public sector labor laws. Public educators (such as teachers in public schools) may not bargain for the right to pay less of the premiums on their employer-provided health insurance. The ERB decides whether a bargaining uni" (a group of employees negotiating work terms) is appropriate for the interests of the state. If not, its decision is final and may not be appealed in court. Security teams in public workplaces and police officers may not bargain with any other public employee group (which does not imply that these groups may not negotiate terms of their own work). General bargaining, involving employees at more than one public workplace, is not allowed. Agreements between employees and an employer must be in writing; they may include an agreement that the employees themselves decide by peer review who keeps work or is fired.
Tags: with labor, agreement with, agreement with labor, collective bargaining, government organization, group employees
