State Public Utility Labor Relations

THE STATE LEVEL public utility commission or comparable regulatory agency (hereinafter referred to as commission) is largely responsible for setting the rates consumers must pay for regulated goods and services and is responsible for monitoring the quality of those goods and services. Labor and labor-related costs may be a significant portion of the rates. In the exercise of its rate and service jurisdiction, the commissions make decisions which will have direct or indirect effects on labor relations. It is the purpose of this paper to examine those effects by reviewing how the commissions treat issues involving labor relations.' The emphasis will be upon the decisions of the various state-level commissions.

A few references will reflect federal commission decisions, as well as state and federal judicial decisions.