Rule 1.53 . Court employees participating in recognized employee organizations.

(a) The court may, at its discretion, allow a subset of its employees to join an employee organization recognized by the court to negotiate a contract with such employee organization regarding terms and conditions of employment of such court employees. (b) The court may also, at its discretion, prohibit specific employees from joining such employee organizations. These employees include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) Judicial executive assistants; (2) Law clerks; (3) Staff attorneys; and (4) Court employees who hold management positions with the court. (c) The court shall not discriminate in any way against court employees based upon their membership or nonmembership in an employee organization recognized by the court. (d) The court’s recognition of an employee organization does not preclude any court employee who is not a member of that organization from acting for himself with respect to any condition of his employment, but any action taken on a request or in adjustment of a grievance shall be consistent with the terms of an applicable negotiated agreement, if any. (e) As used in this section: (1) “Court employee” means any employee who is employed by the Eighth Judicial District Court and any employee working under the clerk of the court. (2) “Employee organization” means an organization having as one of its primary purposes improvement of the terms and conditions of employment of court employees.