City of Portsmouth v. Association of Portsmouth Teachers

This case comes up on cross-appeals from a decision of the Superior Court (O’Neill, J.). After a hearing on the two par*644ties' consolidated declaratory judgment actions, the court ruled that Portsmouth’s 1987 City Charter Amendment D, which precludes binding interest arbitration on collective bargaining agreements, is lawful, but may only be applied to future contracts. The court also determined that the City’s Charter Amendment B, which requires centralized negotiation and administration of collective bargaining agreements, and the city council’s approval of contracts based on such agreements,…