Section 21March 2, 1989, Sec./Art. 21

There shall be incorporated after Article 253 of the same Code a new article which shall read as follows:

"Article 253-A. Terms of a collective bargaining agreement. - Any collective bargaining agreement that the parties may enter into shall, insofar as the representation aspect is concerned, be for a term of five (5) years. No petition questioning the majority status of the incumbent bargaining agent shall be entertained and no certification election shall be conducted by the Department of Labor and Employment outside of the sixty-day period immediately before the date of expiry of such five year term of the collective bargaining agreement. All other provisions of the collective bargaining agreement shall be renegotiated not later than three (3) years after its execution.

Any agreement on such other provisions of the collective bargaining agreement entered into within six (6) months from the date of expiry of the term of such other provisions as fixed in the collective bargaining agreement, shall retroact to the day immediately following such date. If any such agreement is entered into beyond six months, the parties shall agree on the duration of retroactivity thereof. In case of a deadlock in the renegotiation of the collective bargaining agreement, the parties may exercise their rights under this Code."