204 - Recognition and certification of employee organizations.

§ 204. Recognition  and  certification  of  employee organizations. 1.  Public  employers   are   hereby   empowered   to   recognize   employee  organizations  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  collectively  in  the  determination of, and administration of grievances  arising  under,  the  terms and conditions of employment of their public employees as provided  in this article, and to negotiate and enter into written agreements with  such  employee organizations in determining such terms and conditions of  employment.    2. Where an employee organization has  been  certified  or  recognized  pursuant  to  the  provisions of this article, it shall be the exclusive  representative, for the purposes of this article, of all  the  employees  in the appropriate negotiating unit, and the appropriate public employer  shall  be,  and  hereby is, required to negotiate collectively with such  employee organization in the determination  of,  and  administration  of  grievances  arising under, the terms and conditions of employment of the  public employees as provided in this article, and to negotiate and enter  into written agreements with such employee organizations in  determining  such terms and conditions of employment.    3.  For  the purpose of this article, to negotiate collectively is the  performance of the mutual  obligation  of  the  public  employer  and  a  recognized  or  certified  employee  organization  to meet at reasonable  times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours,  and  other  terms  and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement,  or any question arising thereunder,  and  the  execution  of  a  written  agreement  incorporating  any  agreement  reached if requested by either  party, but such obligation does not compel either party to  agree  to  a  proposal or require the making of a concession.