IN THE MATTER OF BOROUGH OF CARTERET (PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS COMMISSION)

**Court Rules That Firefighter Work Schedules Must Be Negotiated with Union** This case involved a dispute between the Borough of Carteret and firefighters over work schedule assignments for probationary firefighters. The Borough claimed it had the sole right to assign shifts to new firefighters without involving the union, arguing this was a management decision outside the scope of collective bargaining. The firefighters' union disagreed and filed a grievance, saying work schedules should be negotiated between the employer and union. The court sided with the firefighters and their union. The appellate court upheld the Public Employment Relations Commission's ruling that work schedule assignments for probationary firefighters are subject to mandatory collective bargaining. This means the Borough cannot unilaterally decide these schedules without negotiating with the union first. This decision matters for public sector workers because it strengthens their collective bargaining rights. It establishes that employers cannot simply declare certain workplace issues as "management prerogatives" to avoid negotiating with unions. Even for newer employees in probationary status, important working conditions like scheduling must be discussed and agreed upon through the collective bargaining process rather than imposed by management alone.