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About ERB

Mission Statement

 
The Employment Relations Board (ERB) resolves disputes concerning labor relations for an estimated 3,000 different employers and 250,000 employees in public and private sector under its jurisdiction. The Board administers the collective bargaining law that covers public employees of the State of Oregon and its cities, counties, school districts, and other local governments; hears and decides appeals from state employees concerning personnel actions; and administers the collective bargaining law that regulates private employers who are not covered by the National Labor Relations Act.

Statutory Authority

ERB administers three separate statutory schemes:
 
The Public Employee Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA) (ORS 243.650 through 243.806), which governs collective bargaining in state and local government.
 
The State Personnel Relations Law (SPRL) (ORS Chapter 240), which creates appeal rights for certain unrepresented state employees regarding some disciplinary and workplace actions.
 
The Private Employee Collective Bargaining Act (ORS 662.405 through 662.455, and 663.005 through 663.295), which governs collective bargaining for certain private-sector employees who are not subject to the jurisdiction of the National Labor Relations Board.
 

Agency Services

 
ERB provides three main services to public employers and labor organizations: processing representation and unit clarification petitions, providing mediation services, and conducting contested case hearings.
 

Agency Description

 
ERB is comprised of:
 
3 Board members (one who is designated as Board Chair), who are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.
3 Administrative Law Judges (ALJs), who process unfair labor practice complaints, state personnel appeals, and representation matters that require a contested case hearing.  The ALJs conduct contested case hearings and issue recommended orders, which may be appealed to the 3-member Board.
3 Mediators (one who is the State Conciliator), who provide mediation and training services in labor-management dispute resolution.
1 Business Operations Administrator
1 Board Secretary and Assistant to Business Operations Administrator
1 Hearings Assistant
1 Election and Mediation Coordinator