Definitions/Glossary

The State Board of Mediation is responsible for determining appropriate bargaining units of public employees based on their shared interests and for determining majority representative status through secret ballot elections.

Public body

The state of Missouri, or any officer, agency, department, bureau, division, board, or commission of the state, or any political subdivision of the state, including, counties, cities, school districts, and districts created for special purposes.

Public employees

Persons employed by public bodies.

Exclusive Bargaining Representative

An organization that has been designated or selected by a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit as their representative for purposes of collective bargaining.

Appropriate unit

A unit of employees at any plant or installation or in a craft or in a function of a public body which establishes a clear and identifiable community of interest among the public employees concerned.

Board

The Missouri State Board of Mediation.

Chairman

The chief administrator of the State Board of Mediation.

Certification

The designation by the board of an employee organization selected as the majority representative of employees through an election in an appropriate unit.

Officer

Any member, counsel, election officer, chairman or any other individual or employee specifically designated as an officer of the board to act on the board’s behalf. The board may delegate to such officer all of the powers conferred upon the board in connection with the discharge of the duties so delegated.

Party

Any person, employee, group of employees, or organization filing a petition, request or application under these rules; any person, organization or public employer named as a party in a complaint, request, application or petition filed under these rules; any incumbent majority representative; or any other person, organization or public employer whose intervention in a proceeding has been permitted or directed by the board, but nothing in this rule shall be construed to prevent the board or any designated officer, from limiting any party’s participation in the proceedings to the extent of his/her interest

Showing of interest

A designated percentage (30%) of employees in an allegedly appropriate bargaining unit or a bargaining unit determined to be appropriate, who are members of a labor organization or have designated it as their exclusive bargaining representative or have signed a petition requesting an election for certification or decertification of employee representatives