N.Y. Civil Service Law § 204: Recognition and certification of employee organizations

§ 204. Recognition and certification of employee organizations. 1.

Public employers are hereby empowered to recognize employee

organizations for the purpose of negotiating collectively in the

determination of, and administration of grievances arising under, the

terms and conditions of employment of their public employees as provided

in this article, and to negotiate and enter into written agreements with

such employee organizations in determining such terms and conditions of

employment.

2. Where an employee organization has been certified or recognized

pursuant to the provisions of this article, it shall be the exclusive

representative, for the purposes of this article, of all the employees

in the appropriate negotiating unit, and the appropriate public employer

shall be, and hereby is, required to negotiate collectively with such

employee organization in the determination of, and administration of

grievances arising under, the terms and conditions of employment of the

public employees as provided in this article, and to negotiate and enter

into written agreements with such employee organizations in determining

such terms and conditions of employment.

3. For the purpose of this article, to negotiate collectively is the

performance of the mutual obligation of the public employer and a

recognized or certified employee organization to meet at reasonable

times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other

terms and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement,

or any question arising thereunder, and the execution of a written

agreement incorporating any agreement reached if requested by either

party, but such obligation does not compel either party to agree to a

proposal or require the making of a concession.