Why is this goal important?
This indicator concerns all public sector (school district, city, county and state government) and private sector contract disputes that are presented to the Bureau of Mediation Services for mediation.

Based on the percentage of the workforce in Minnesota that is unionized, our state ranks 7th highest in the nation (18.8 percent). Looking only at the public sector, the primary clientele of the Bureau, Minnesota ranks even higher. Approximately 67 percent of all public employees in the state are represented by a labor organization. This comparatively high rate of unionization illustrates why it is important that Minnesota employers and unions develop and maintain good collective bargaining relationships and resolve their differences in a peaceful manner without disruptions in public services.

How will this goal be accomplished?
By tracking labor dispute settlement rates.

What is the Bureau’s progress to date?
The contract mediation settlement rate has risen steadily since 2004.
 

Why is this goal important?
A statutory responsibility of the Bureau is to administer the right of employees in Minnesota to form unions and engage in collective bargaining. Employee organizations or unions may petition the Bureau to form new collective bargaining units.  In accordance with Minnesota law, the Bureau must determine the make-up of these units and conduct elections to determine if a majority of employees desire union representation. When a group of currently represented employees wish to change their exclusive representatives or no longer desire union representation they must petition the Bureau for an election to determine the will of the majority.

How will this goal be accomplished?
By tracking the time it takes to process contested petitions and using technology as outlined above in Goal 1.

What is the Bureau’s progress to date?
The Bureau of Mediation Services achieved its target of 90 percent resolution for cases requiring elections. For cases not requiring elections, the Bureau has achieved its goal of 80 percent resolution and its performance is above the historical average.

The number of cases requiring a hearing and written order had been substantially reduced in recent years due to a higher concentration of pre-hearing mediation and the parties' willingness to allow the Bureau to issue an order based on legal briefs. Thus, the data for fiscal year 2006 and fiscal year 2007 may not be of statistical significance. Additionally, the post-hearing time to issue an order has been impacted by the parties' post-hearing requests for informal mediation and complicated and first-impression legal issues.

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