Labor: collective bargaining; definition of public employee in 1947 PA 336; modify. Amends secs. 1 & 14 of 1947 PA 336 (MCL 423.201 & 423.214).

SB 791 amends Michigan's public employee collective bargaining law to update definitions and election rules. The bill clarifies who counts as a "public employee" by explicitly including graduate research assistants while excluding private contractors and student-athletes. It also establishes that union elections cannot be held within 12 months of a previous valid election and requires a runoff if no candidate receives a majority vote. Additionally, the legislation prevents elections from being organized if a collective bargaining agreement is still in effect, unless more than three years have passed since the agreement was signed. These changes directly affect public sector unions, employers, and the state's employment relations commission.