State ex rel. Tritt v. State Employment Relations Board

**What Happened** Michael Tritt, a Columbus city employee, was fired on November 12, 1999. He believed his termination was retaliation for union activities. Tritt waited to file an unfair labor practice complaint with the State Employment Relations Board (SERB) until after his union told him they wouldn't appeal his grievance. By that time, more than 90 days had passed since his firing. SERB dismissed his complaint as filed too late, but lower courts disagreed and ordered SERB to hear his case. **What the Court Decided** The Ohio Supreme Court sided with SERB and reversed the lower courts' decision. The court ruled that Tritt's complaint was indeed filed too late. The 90-day deadline to file an unfair labor practice complaint starts ticking from the date of termination, not from when the union decides whether to pursue a grievance. **Why This Matters for Workers** This ruling emphasizes that workers must act quickly when filing retaliation complaints - they cannot wait for their union's grievance process to play out. Workers who believe they've been illegally retaliated against should file complaints with employment boards within 90 days of the adverse action, regardless of what their union decides to do.