Snyder County Prison Board v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board

**Snyder County Prison Board v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board** The Snyder County Prison Board decided to hire an outside company, Aramark, to handle food services at their prison facility. However, they made this decision without following proper procedures required under Pennsylvania's public employee labor laws. The prison workers' union argued that the board was required to negotiate with them first and go through specific dispute resolution steps before making such a significant change that would eliminate union jobs. The Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled in favor of the workers and their union. The court found that the prison board committed an unfair labor practice by contracting out the food services work without completing the mandatory negotiation and dispute resolution process. The court ordered the prison board to cancel their contract with Aramark, bring the food services work back to the prison, rehire the displaced workers, and pay them for the wages and benefits they lost during this period. This decision matters for public sector workers because it reinforces that government employers cannot simply bypass union contracts and required bargaining procedures when making decisions that affect workers' jobs. Employers must follow proper negotiation processes before outsourcing work that eliminates union positions.