Each of the following groups of employees has the right, as specified in this subdivision, to separate from the general professional, health treatment, or general supervisory units provided for in subdivision 2: attorneys, physicians, and professional employees of the Minnesota Office of Higher Education who are compensated under section 43A.18, subdivision 4. This right must be exercised by petition during the 60-day period commencing 270 days prior to the termination of a contract covering the units. If one of these groups of employees exercises the right to separate from the units they have no right to meet and negotiate, but retain the right to meet and confer with the commissioner of management and budget and with the appropriate appointing authority on any matter of concern to them. The right to separate must be exercised as follows: An employee organization or group of employees claiming that a majority of any one of these groups of employees on a statewide basis wish to separate from their units may petition the commissioner for an election during the petitioning period. If the petition is supported by a showing of at least 30 percent support for the petitioner from the employees, the commissioner shall hold an election to ascertain the wishes of the majority with respect to the issue of remaining within or severing from the units provided in subdivision 2. This election must be conducted within 30 days of the close of the petition period. If a majority of votes cast endorse severance from the unit in favor of separate meet and confer status for any one of these groups of employees, the commissioner shall certify that result. This election, where not inconsistent with other provisions of this section, is governed by section 179A.12. If a group of employees elects to sever, the group may rejoin that unit by following the same procedures specified above for severance, but may only do so during the periods provided for severance.
The commissioner shall assign state employee classifications, court employee classifications, University of Minnesota employee classifications, and supervisory positions to the appropriate units when the classifications or positions have not been assigned under subdivision 2 or section 179A.101 or 179A.11 or have been significantly modified in occupational content subsequent to assignment under these sections. The assignment of the classes shall be made on the basis of the community of interest of the majority of employees in these classes with the employees within the statutory units. All the employees in a class, excluding supervisory and confidential employees, shall be assigned to a single appropriate unit.
Minn. Stat. § 179A.10
1984 c 462 s 11; 1984 c 640 s 32; 1Sp1986 c 3 art 1 s 26; 1987 c 186 s 15; 1988 c 667 s 26; 1991 c 356 art 9 s 7; 1992 c 464 art 1 s 25; 1992 c 582 s 8, 9; 1994 c 532 art 4 s 6; 1994 c 560 art 2 s 18; 1995 c 212 art 3 s 59; 1997 c 156 s 4; 1999 c 216 art 7 s 8; 1999 c 221 s 7; 2001 c 133 s 2; 2005 c 107 art 2 s 60; 1Sp2005 c 6 art 3 s 82; 2008 c 204 s 42; 2009 c 101 art 2s 109; 2014 c 211 s 9, 13; 1Sp2015 c 1 art 7 s 1