City of Manchester v. Manchester Firefighters Ass'n

The primary issue in this case concerns interpretation of RSA 273-A:13, the section of this State’s Public Employee Labor Relations Act (PELRA) that prohibits public employee strikes.

In the late summer of 1978, the Manchester Firefighters Association and the city of Manchester were engaged in contract negotiations. Apparently under the impression that the city was not negotiating in good faith, RSA 273-A:5 1(e), and apparently in the belief that it would be fruitless to further engage in negotiation of the sort contemplated by the PELRA, the association members began a sickout, a form of job…