State, ex rel. Ohio Assn. of Pub. School Emp./AFSCME, AFL-CIO v. State Emp. Relations Bd.

**What Happened** The Ohio Association of Public School Employees union filed an unfair labor practice charge against an employer with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB). However, SERB dismissed the union's complaint without investigating it, claiming the union had filed it too late and missed the deadline. **What the Court Decided** The court disagreed with SERB's handling of the case and sent it back for proper review. The court found that SERB made a mistake by dismissing the complaint without thoroughly examining whether it was actually filed too late. SERB should have conducted a complete investigation into the timing issue before making any decision to dismiss the case. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling protects workers' right to have their workplace complaints properly investigated. When workers or unions file unfair labor practice charges, government agencies cannot simply dismiss them without doing their homework first. The agency must carefully examine all the facts, including whether deadlines were actually missed, before deciding whether to proceed with a case. This ensures workers get fair treatment when they raise concerns about illegal employer actions, even when there are questions about timing or procedural requirements.