§ 28-9.5-2 - Statement of policy.
SECTION 28-9.5-2
§ 28-9.5-2 Statement of policy. – (a) The protection of the public health, safety, and welfare demands that thefull-time state police officers of the state of Rhode Island not be accordedthe right to strike or engage in any work stoppage or slowdown. This necessaryprohibition does not require the denial to such state employees of other wellrecognized rights of labor, such as the right to organize, to be represented byan organization of their choice, and the right to bargain collectivelyconcerning wages, rates of pay, and other terms and conditions of employment.
(b) It is declared to be the public policy of this state toaccord to the full-time police officers of the state all of the rights of laborother than the right to strike or engage in any work stoppage or slowdown. Toprovide for the exercise of these rights, a method of arbitration of disputesis established.
(c) The establishment of this method of arbitration shall notin any way, be deemed to be recognition by the state of compulsory arbitrationas a superior method of settling labor disputes between employees who possessthe right to strike and their employers, but rather is a recognition solely ofthe necessity to provide some alternative mode of settling disputes whereemployees must as a matter of public policy be denied the usual right to strike.