R.I. Gen. Laws
Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9.3-7 (2026)

Certification of negotiating agent

✓ current as of July 2026
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(a) No association or organization shall be initially certified as the representative of certified public school teachers except after an election.

(b) Teachers shall be free to join or to decline to join any association or organization regardless of whether it has been certified as the exclusive representative of certified public school teachers.

(c) If new elections are not held after an association or labor organization is certified, the association or organization shall continue as the exclusive representative of the certified public school teachers from year to year until recognition is withdrawn or changed as provided in § 28-9.3-5.

(d) Elections shall not be held more often than once each twelve (12) months and must be held at least thirty (30) days before the expiration date of any employment contract.

(e) Any employees in the bargaining unit, who are not members of the exclusive bargaining representative organization, may be required by the labor or employee organization to pay a reasonable charge for representation in grievances and/or arbitrations brought at the nonmember’s request.

(f) The employer shall notify the exclusive bargaining unit representative organization of the hiring of any employee in the bargaining unit. The notice shall be given promptly after the hiring decision is made but in no event later than the fifth business day following the employee’s start date.

(g) Bargaining unit lists.

(1) Once every one hundred twenty (120) days, or on a more frequent basis if mutually agreed to by the employer and the employee organization, the employer shall provide the employee organization that is the exclusive representative of a bargaining unit, and any statewide employee organization, of which the local employee organization is an affiliate, with a list of all employees in that bargaining unit.

(2) The list shall include, as appropriate, each employee’s employee ID number, first name, last name, work location/department, job title/classification, date of hire, date of birth, demographic information, contact information, and whether the employee has, to the employer’s records, authorized dues deduction. As used in this section, “demographic information”, includes the employee’s sex and race/ethnicity, to the extent the employer is in possession of such information. As used in this section, “contact information” includes an employee’s home address, mailing address, work email address, personal email address, and home and personal cellular telephone numbers, to the extent that the employer is in possession of such information.

(3) To the extent possible, the employee list shall be in alphabetical order by last name and provided as an electronic spreadsheet with one column for each of the data listed in subsection (g)(2) of this section.

(4) The list shall be kept confidential by the employer and the employee organization and shall be exempt from copying and inspection under chapter 2 of title 38 (“access to public records”).

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 5 cases, 1972–1977 · leading case: Belanger v. Matteson, 346 A.2d 124 (R.I. 1975).
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Belanger v. Matteson, 346 A.2d 124 (R.I. 1975). · cites it 2× “I would find that this constituted a "perverse misconstruction" of the terms of the agreement and warrants the vacation of the award. The arbitrators plainly exceeded their powers.”
Ass'n of Capitol Powerhouse Engineers v. State, 570 P.2d 1042 (Wash. 1977). “" 3 The following statutes require payment of union dues or a fee equal to union dues: Alas. Stat. §§ 23.40.”
Town of North Kingstown v. North Kingstown Teachers Ass'n, 297 A.2d 342 (R.I. 1972). “Such an arrangement does not require membership in the Association, it only requires that dues or an amount equal to dues be paid by all teachers in order to hold employment in the North Kingstown School System.” That directive’s legality becomes suspect because of possible…”
State Employees' Ass'n of New Hampshire, Inc. v. Mills, 344 A.2d 6 (N.H. 1975). “In the only case allowing an agency shop notwithstanding a right-to-work provision, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island saw no clear legislative objective behind the provision (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9.3-7) and on the contrary found it “manifestly inequitable to .”
State Employees'ass'n v. Mills, 344 A.2d 6 (N.H. 1975). “In the only case allowing an agency shop notwithstanding a right-to-work provision, the Supreme Court of Rhode Island saw no clear legislative objective behind the provision (R.I. Gen. Laws § 28-9.3-7) and on the contrary found it "manifestly inequitable to .”
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