IN THE MATTER OF COUNTY OF ESSEX AND ESSEX COUNTY PBA LOCAL 382 (PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION)

**Essex County vs. Police Union: Health Insurance Dispute** This case involved a disagreement between Essex County and the local police union (PBA Local 382) over health insurance changes. The county had unilaterally switched health insurance carriers without negotiating with the union first. The union filed a grievance, arguing this violated their collective bargaining agreement and wanted the dispute to go to arbitration. Essex County tried to stop the arbitration process, claiming they had the right to make health insurance decisions on their own. The county petitioned the Public Employment Relations Commission (PERC) to prevent the arbitration from moving forward. The court sided with the union. Both PERC and the appellate court ruled that health insurance benefits are a mandatory subject of negotiation between employers and unions. The court affirmed that the county could not unilaterally change health insurance carriers and that the union's grievance should proceed to arbitration. This decision matters for workers because it reinforces that employers cannot make significant changes to health benefits without negotiating with unions first. For unionized public employees, it confirms that health insurance remains a core bargaining issue that employers must discuss before making changes.