Appeal of Belknap County Commissioners

The petitioner, Belknap County Commissioners (county), appeals a decision of the public employee labor relations board (PELRB) reversing and remanding an arbitrator’s decision that a grievance brought by the respondent, State Employee’s Association of New Hampshire, Inc., S.E.I.U., Local 1984 (SEA), was not arbitrable. We reverse.

The following facts are adduced from the record. The SEA is the bargaining representative of certain nursing and non-nursing personnel employed by the Belknap County Nursing Home. On December 31, 1996, the county’s collective bargaining agreement (original CBA) with…