Johnston School Committee v. Rhode Island State Labor Rel Bd, 03-0141 (2004)

**School District Must Bargain Before Changing Teacher Discipline Rules** The Johnston School Committee created a new Internet Use Policy that would affect how teachers could be disciplined for their online activities. However, the school district implemented this policy without first negotiating with the teachers' union, as required by law. The teachers' union filed a complaint with the Rhode Island State Labor Relations Board, arguing that the school committee violated labor laws by failing to engage in mandatory collective bargaining before putting the new policy in place. The Labor Relations Board agreed with the union and ruled against the school committee. When the school committee appealed to the Rhode Island Supreme Court, the court upheld the Labor Relations Board's decision. The court confirmed that the school district had committed an unfair labor practice by bypassing the required negotiation process. This ruling matters for workers because it reinforces their right to have their union involved in negotiations when employers want to change workplace policies that could affect discipline or working conditions. Employers cannot simply impose new rules unilaterally—they must follow proper bargaining procedures when changes impact unionized employees' terms of employment.