Manhasset Union Free School District v. New York State Public Employment Relations Board

**School District Can't Just Outsource Union Jobs Without Following Rules** The Manhasset School District decided to outsource transportation work that was previously done by union employees. Instead of negotiating with the union first, the district made this decision on its own and later sold their buses and leased out their garage facility. The union filed a complaint with the New York State Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), arguing that the school district broke labor law by making this major change without involving the union in discussions. PERB agreed with the union and ordered the district to fix the situation. The school district challenged PERB's decision in court, but the court sided with PERB. However, the court sent the case back to PERB to come up with a different solution since the district had already sold the buses and leased the garage, making it difficult to simply restore the old jobs. **What This Means for Workers:** Public sector unions have legal protections when employers want to outsource their work. Employers must negotiate with unions before making major changes that affect union jobs. Even if employers try to make outsourcing permanent by selling equipment, unions can still fight back through labor boards and potentially win remedies.