This bill amends the "New Jersey Employer-Employee Relations Act" to establish specific standards for contract negotiations between firefighters, fire officers, and public employers. It mandates that terms and conditions of employment for these personnel must include the minimum number of sworn firefighters and fire officers assigned to each fire apparatus, ensuring that staffing levels are rationally related to employee or public safety. Additionally, the bill introduces a dispute resolution procedure whereby if a disagreement arises regarding whether the minimum staffing levels are a management prerogative or a mandatory subject of negotiation, the matter will be submitted to the commission for an evidentiary hearing.

Furthermore, the bill clarifies that if the dispute involves grievance arbitration, the commission may refer the issue to the arbitrator to determine if it relates to public or employee safety. The burden of proof in such cases will rest on the party asserting the connection to safety. Importantly, the bill specifies that its provisions do not affect the rights or obligations of any public employer other than those explicitly related to firefighter and fire officer personnel, thereby ensuring that other public employees remain unaffected by these changes.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 34:13A-5.3, 34:13A-5.4