New York Laws
Article 14 - Public Employees' Fair Employment Act
204 - Recognition and Certification of Employee Organizations.

§ 204. Recognition and certification of employee organizations. 1.
Public employers are hereby empowered to recognize employee
organizations for the purpose of negotiating collectively in the
determination of, and administration of grievances arising under, the
terms and conditions of employment of their public employees as provided
in this article, and to negotiate and enter into written agreements with
such employee organizations in determining such terms and conditions of
employment.

2. Where an employee organization has been certified or recognized
pursuant to the provisions of this article, it shall be the exclusive
representative, for the purposes of this article, of all the employees
in the appropriate negotiating unit, and the appropriate public employer
shall be, and hereby is, required to negotiate collectively with such
employee organization in the determination of, and administration of
grievances arising under, the terms and conditions of employment of the
public employees as provided in this article, and to negotiate and enter
into written agreements with such employee organizations in determining
such terms and conditions of employment.

3. For the purpose of this article, to negotiate collectively is the
performance of the mutual obligation of the public employer and a
recognized or certified employee organization to meet at reasonable
times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours, and other
terms and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement,
or any question arising thereunder, and the execution of a written
agreement incorporating any agreement reached if requested by either
party, but such obligation does not compel either party to agree to a
proposal or require the making of a concession.