This petition can only be filed when no other employee organization has been, or currently is, recognized or certified as the exclusive representative of the employees.
Written majority authorization evidence
Written majority authorization evidence may be in card or petition form and must be signed and individually dated. It must include the following language:
I, (FULL NAME & JOB CLASSIFCATION), designate (PRINT OR TYPE NAME OF EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION) as my representative for the purposes of collective bargaining. I certify that this designation is my free act and deed and is given without consideration.
SIGN AND DATE
If the petitioned-for unit consists of both professional and non-professional employees, all professional employees must include an additional statement (either on the card/petition itself or on an accompanying signed and dated document) that they agree to be included in a collective bargaining unit consisting of both professional and nonprofessional employees.
Signatures must be dated within 12 months prior to the filing of the petition.
Confidentiality
The DLR and the outside neutral, if any, maintain the the confidentiality of the written majority authorization of the written majority authorization evidence. The written majority authorization evidence is not furnished to or examined by any of the parties or any other individual or entity (except insofar as the petitioner was in possession of the written majority evidence prior to submission).
Bars to written majority authorization
There are 3 bars that prohibit the DLR from processing a WMA petition:
1. Withdrawal bar
Except for good cause, the DLR does not process a WMA petition if, within the preceding 6 months, the petitioner withdrew a WMA petition or representation petition in the same or similar bargaining unit, after the selection or designation of a neutral, but before the verification process.
2. Verification/Election year bar
Except for good cause, the DLR does not process a WMA petition in the same or similar bargaining unit within which a neutral conducted a WMA authorization verification in the preceding 12 months, or within which a valid election has been held in the preceding 12 months.
3. Certification year bar
Except for good cause, the DLR will not process a WMA petition in the same or similar bargaining unit represented by a union certified through a WMA process or a valid election process in which the DLR has issued certification within the preceding 12 months.
Additional information
For additional information regarding WMA petitions, please see the pdf below.