Richard W. Perhacs Successful in Helping County Maintain Accountability at Prison

Richard W. Perhacs, who currently serves as Assistant Erie County Solicitor for Labor Relations, recently won a significant victory for management rights. The Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board dismissed a charge of unfair practices filed against Erie County by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU). The union, representing prison guards, had challenged the County's right to replace union guards with management employees in supervisory positions - a project that has been given high priority by County Executive Kathy Dahlkemper and Warden Kevin Sutter. The decision clears the way for increased accountability of employee performance and more effective management of the Erie County Prison.

Mr. Perhacs has counseled both local government and business employers on labor and employment law issues for over 35 years. He represents more than a dozen public school systems, including Erie's Public Schools with over 1,300 employees.

In 2013, he authored “Labor Relations for School Leaders: A Practical Guide to Labor Contracts, Negotiations, Strikes and Grievances,” a book that leads school board members and administrators through an array of labor relations situations. The book has been published by the PSBA.

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