§ 16-308

(a) The Montgomery Commission and an employee organization certified as exclusive representative shall meet and engage in collective bargaining in good faith about:

(1) salary and wages, including the percentage of an increase in the salary and wages budget that will be devoted to merit increments and cash awards, but salaries and wages shall be the same for all employees in the same classification;

(2) pension and other retirement benefits for active employees;

(3) employee benefits such as insurance, leave, holidays, and vacations;

(4) hours and working conditions;

(5) matters affecting the health and safety of employees;

(6) the effect of the exercise of the Montgomery Commission’s rights and responsibilities under § 16-314 of this subtitle on employees; and

(7) provisions for orderly processing and settling grievances about the interpretation and implementation of a collective bargaining agreement that may include:

(i) provisions for the exclusivity of forum;

(ii) binding third party arbitration, if:

1. the Montgomery Commission and the employee organization share the costs of binding arbitration equally; and

2. the arbitrator does not have authority to amend, add to, or subtract from the collective bargaining agreement.

(b) This section does not require the Montgomery Commission or the employee organization to agree to any proposal or to make any concession.

(c) (1) The Montgomery Commission and an employee organization certified as exclusive representative:

(i) shall begin collective bargaining on or before September 1 in the fiscal year before the beginning of a fiscal year for which an agreement has not been reached; and

(ii) shall complete collective bargaining on or before the following February 1.

(2) During the period set forth in paragraph (1) of this subsection, the parties shall negotiate in good faith.