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23-1389. Representatives and elections

A. Representatives selected by a secret ballot for the purposes of collective bargaining by the majority of the agricultural employees in a unit appropriate for such purposes are the exclusive representatives of all of the agricultural employees in such unit for the purpose of collective bargaining in respect to rates of pay, wages, hours of employment or other conditions of employment. If ratification of any such contract is required, the right to vote in such ratification is limited to the employees in the bargaining unit. Any individual agricultural employee or a group of agricultural employees at any time may present grievances to their agricultural employer and have such grievances adjusted, without the intervention of the bargaining representative, if the adjustment is not inconsistent with the terms of a collective bargaining contract or agreement then in effect. The bargaining representative may be present at such adjustment.

B. The board shall decide in each case whether in order to ensure to employees the fullest freedom in exercising their rights the unit appropriate for the purposes of collective bargaining shall consist of either all temporary agricultural employees or all permanent agricultural employees of an agricultural employer working at the farm where such employer grows or produces agricultural products, or both. In making unit determinations the extent of a union's extent of organization shall not be controlling. Principal factors should be the community of interest between employees, the same hours, duties and compensation, the administrative structure of the employer and the control of labor relations policies.

C. The board shall investigate any petition and, if it has reasonable cause to believe that a question of representation exists, shall provide for an appropriate hearing on due notice, if such petition has been filed in good faith in accordance with the rules that may be prescribed by the board:

1. By an agricultural employee or group of agricultural employees or any individual or labor organization acting in its behalf alleging that thirty per cent or more of the number of agricultural employees in the unit in question either wish to be represented for collective bargaining and that their employer declines to recognize their representative or assert that the individual or labor organization that has been certified or that is being currently recognized by their employer as the bargaining representative is no longer a representative.

2. By an agricultural employer, alleging that one or more individuals or labor organizations have presented to him a claim to be recognized as the representative or that an individual or labor organization that has previously been certified as the bargaining representative is no longer a representative.

D. If the board finds on the record of such hearing that a question of representation exists, it shall direct an election by secret ballot and shall certify the results. If a second labor organization files a petition for an election alleging that thirty per cent or more of the employees in the unit in question desire to be represented by that labor organization, the board shall require that the names of both labor organizations appear on the ballot. In any election the voters shall be afforded the choice of "no union". If in a representational election more than one union is on the ballot, and none of the choices receives a majority vote, a second election shall be held. The second election shall be between the union receiving the highest number of votes and "no union". In any election a labor organization shall obtain a majority of all votes cast in that election in order to be certified as the bargaining representative of all of the employees in that unit.

E. In determining whether or not a question of representation exists, the same rules of decision apply irrespective of the identity of the persons filing the petition or the kind of relief sought. In no case may the board deny a labor organization a place on the ballot by reason of an order with respect to such labor organization or its predecessor not issued in conformity with section 23-1390.

F. Within five days of receipt of such a petition, the agricultural employer may file a challenge to such petition on the ground that the authorization for the filing of such petition is not current or that such authorization has been obtained by fraud, misrepresentation or coercion. The petition shall not act to stay the election proceeding, but if it is thereafter determined that the authorizations are not current or are obtained by fraud, misrepresentation or coercion the petition will be dismissed.

G. No election may be directed or conducted in any bargaining unit or any subdivision of a bargaining unit within which, in the preceding twelve month period, a valid election has been held. Employees who are engaged in an economic strike and who are not entitled to reinstatement are eligible to vote under such rules as the board finds are consistent with the purposes and provisions of this article in any election conducted within three months after the commencement of the strike. Any agricultural employee who is found to have sought or accepted employment only for the purpose of affecting the outcome of an election is not eligible to vote in an election conducted pursuant to this article for a period of twelve months from the date of that election.

H. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the waiving of hearings by stipulation for the purpose of a consent election in conformity with rules or decisions of the board.

I. Within ten days after an election is directed by the board or a consent election agreement is approved by the board and on request of the board, the agricultural employer shall furnish to the board a list of agricultural employees in the bargaining unit who are qualified to vote, and this list shall be made available to the organizations or other interested employees involved in the election.

J. On the filing with the board, by thirty per cent or more of the agricultural employees in a bargaining unit covered by a certification or by an agreement between their employer and a labor organization made pursuant to section 23-1385, of a petition alleging the desire that such representation authority be rescinded, the board shall conduct an election by secret ballot of the employees in such unit and shall certify the results to the labor organization and the employer.