Joint Bargaining Committee of the Pennsylvania Social Services Union v. Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board

OPINION

McDERMOTT, Justice.

This appeal seeks to end ten years of litigation which originally arose when the Commonwealth refused to bargain with a duly authorized bargaining unit representing the Commonwealth’s social service employees 1 about the issue of employee caseload.2

An unfair labor practices charge was lodged by the union pursuant to the Pennsylvania Employe Relations Act (PERA)3 on February 22, 1973, charging that the Commonwealth refused to bargain in good faith under PERA, 43 P.S. § 1101.1201(a)(1) and (a)(5). The Commonwealth insisted that the issue was not a matter subject to…