Excerpts from WERC Biennial Report
1995-97
The full text of the Commissions 1995-97 and previous Biennial Reports are available from the Commission's Madison office.
The Agency
Organization: The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission consists of three commissioners appointed by the Governor, with the consent of the Senate, for six-year terms, with one commissioner designated by the Governor to serve as chairperson for a two-year term. At the commencement of the biennium the commissioners were: A. Henry Hempe (Chairperson), Herman Torosian and William K. Strycker. In August, 1995, James R. Meier was appointed Commissioner replacing Commissioner Strycker, and in January, 1996, was designated Chairperson. In March, 1997, Paul A. Hahn replaced retired Commissioner Torosian. . . .[reference to organizational chart omitted]
Responsibility: The purpose and goal of the Commission is to promote peaceful labor relations and collective bargaining in private, municipal and state employment through the process established by the Wisconsin Employment Peace Act, the Municipal Employment Relations Act, and the State Employment Labor Relations Act, (Subchapters I, IV and V of Chapter 111, Wisconsin Statutes) and avoid the costly consequences of strikes and lock-outs and other interruptions of services and production. In the administration of such statutes, the Commission conducts elections to determine bargaining units and bargaining representatives, referenda with respect to all-union, maintenance of membership and fair-share agreements, and issues decisions in the adjudication of unfair labor practice, election, unit clarification and declaratory ruling cases. It also mediates collective bargaining disputes and provides arbitration services for grievances arising in the interpretation and application of existing collective bargaining agreements.
Commission Performance During Biennium
During the 1995-1997 biennium, there were 2,501 new cases filed with the Commission, and 2,792 cases were closed. Included within the closed cases were 17 wherein the Commission issued declaratory rulings and 111 where representation votes were conducted. Also, during the biennium, Commission staff issued 422 grievance arbitration awards and 73 unfair labor practice/prohibited practice decisions. As part of the 2,792 closed cases, there were 592 INT/ARB (municipal--excluding police and fire) cases, and of those 488 or 82% resulted in voluntary settlements following Commission investigation (intensive mediation). There were also 161 MIA (police and fire) cases closed of which 116 or 72% were resolved voluntarily during the Commission investigation.
Court Activity During Biennium
During the biennium, decisions from the Wisconsin courts yielded a final disposition of 8 Commission cases. At the circuit court level, five decisions affirmed the Commission's decision and one decision was reversed. In the Court of Appeals, one Commission decision was affirmed and one decision was reversed.
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TOTAL CASES PROCESSED BY COMMISSION 1995-1997 |
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Cases Pending |
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Cases Received |
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Cases Closed |
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Cases Pending |
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Cases Received |
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Cases Closed |
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Cases Pending |
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7/1/95 |
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1995-1996 |
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1995-1996 |
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6/30/96 |
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1996-1997 |
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1996-1997 |
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6/30/97 |
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Private Employment Cases |
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Election |
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2 |
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6 |
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4 |
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4 |
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1 |
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3 |
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1 |
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Referendum |
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2 |
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1 |
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1 |
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2 |
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2 |
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1 |
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3 |
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Complaint |
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18 |
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12 |
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5 |
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16 |
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11 |
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18 |
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17 |
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Mediation |
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16 |
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11 |
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10 |
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17 |
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4 |
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9 |
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12 |
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Grievance Arbitration |
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112 |
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117 |
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114 |
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115 |
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96 |
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119 |
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92 |
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Municipal Employment Cases |
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Election |
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151 |
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121 |
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138 |
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134 |
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110 |
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106 |
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138 |
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Referendum |
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0 |
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1 |
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1 |
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0 |
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1 |
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1 |
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0 |
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Complaint |
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241 |
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132 |
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112 |
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261 |
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131 |
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148 |
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244 |
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Mediation |
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78 |
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88 |
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106 |
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60 |
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59 |
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58 |
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61 |
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Grievance Arbitration |
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553 |
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480 |
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540 |
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493 |
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381 |
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434 |
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440 |
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Police-Fire Interest Arbitration |
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85 |
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82 |
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90 |
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77 |
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58 |
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71 |
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64 |
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Interest Arbitration |
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392 |
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312 |
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304 |
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400 |
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189 |
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287 |
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302 |
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Declaratory Ruling |
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34 |
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16 |
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11 |
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39 |
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4 |
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12 |
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31 |
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Fact Finding |
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6 |
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2 |
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4 |
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4 |
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1 |
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1 |
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4 |
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Labor Management Cooperation |
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0 |
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16 |
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16 |
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0 |
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13 |
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13 |
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0 |
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State Employment Cases |
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Election |
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7 |
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0 |
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0 |
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7 |
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0 |
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1 |
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6 |
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Referendum |
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0 |
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2 |
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1 |
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1 |
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0 |
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1 |
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0 |
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Complaint |
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54 |
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17 |
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17 |
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54 |
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15 |
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22 |
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47 |
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Mediation |
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5 |
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1 |
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2 |
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4 |
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0 |
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3 |
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1 |
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Declaratory Ruling |
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2 |
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0 |
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0 |
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2 |
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0 |
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2 |
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0 |
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Arbitration |
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0 |
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8 |
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0 |
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8 |
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0 |
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6 |
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2 |
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Fact Finding |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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0 |
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TOTALS |
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1758 |
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1425 |
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1476 |
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1698 |
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1076 |
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1316 |
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1465 |
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This page is a public domain communication of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission. The URL of this page is {http://werc.wi.gov/biennial_report_data_1995-97.htm}. Last modified on 23 AUG 1998. Comments, questions and suggestions