The Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission consists of the Chairman appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the Senate, for a six-year term.
The Commission is charged with administering processes established by the Wisconsin Employment Peace Act, Municipal Employment Relations Act and State Employment Labor Relations Act (Subchapters I, IV and V of Chapter 111, Wisconsin Statutes) to avoid the costly consequences of strikes, lockouts and other interruptions of services and production. The Commission’s labor relations work includes conducting elections to determine bargaining units and bargaining representatives; issuing decisions regarding unfair labor practice, election, unit clarification and declaratory ruling cases; mediating collective bargaining disputes; and providing arbitration services for grievances arising over the interpretation and application of existing collective bargaining agreements. The Commission also issues decisions regarding appeals of certain state personnel actions under s. 230.45(1), Wisconsin Statutes, and provides labor management training, designed to enable the parties to work together to achieve common goals.