Appeal of City of Laconia

The petitioner, City of Laconia (city), appeals a decision of the New Hampshire Public Employee Labor Relations Board (PELRB) denying its petition to modify the fire department’s collective bargaining unit to exclude lieutenants and captains. See RSA 541:6 (1997). We affirm in part, vacate in part and remand.

The relevant facts follow. Since 1956, the city has recognized the respondent, Local 1153 of the International Association of Firefighters, AFL-CIO-CLC (the union), as the exclusive representative of employees within a bargaining unit that has included lieutenants, captains and…