Department of Public Safety v. State Board of Labor Relations

**Connecticut Supreme Court Rules on Police Supervisors' Union Rights** This case involved a dispute over whether Connecticut state police lieutenants and captains could join labor unions. The Department of Public Safety argued that these supervisors should be classified as "managerial employees," which would exclude them from collective bargaining rights under state law. The State Board of Labor Relations had previously ruled that these officers could unionize. The Connecticut Supreme Court sided with the Department of Public Safety, overturning a lower court decision. The court determined that police lieutenants and captains are indeed managerial employees because they play key roles in developing agency goals and creating policy for the department. The court ruled that the law doesn't require these supervisors to exercise "independent judgment" to be considered managers – their involvement in policy-making and goal-setting was enough. **What this means for workers:** This ruling clarifies that supervisory employees who help shape workplace policies and organizational direction may lose their right to join unions, even if they don't make completely independent decisions. Workers in similar supervisory roles across Connecticut should understand that their union eligibility depends on their actual job duties, not just their job titles.