ERC 18.08(3)(a)(a)
Opportunity to be heard. Any party shall have the right to appear in person or by counsel or by any other representative to present the case by oral, documentary, or other evidence, and to conduct cross examination. Any party shall be entitled, on request, to a reasonable period for oral argument at an appropriate time during the hearing and to submit closing arguments in writing within a time period after the hearing specified for that purpose by the commission or examiner.
ERC 18.08(3)(b)
(b)
Effect of failure to appear. Unless good cause is shown, any party failing to appear and participate after due notice waives the rights listed in
par. (a), except the right to submit closing arguments in writing within a time period after the hearing specified for that purpose by the commission or examiner, and shall not later introduce any evidence. The commission or examiner may rely on the record as made at the hearing.
ERC 18.08(3)(c)
(c)
Impartiality. Parties have the right to have their case heard and decided by impartial individuals. Commission members and examiners shall recuse themselves from participation in proceedings which they are or become incapable of hearing or deciding without evident partiality or the appearance of partiality. Parties have the right to request by motion, on grounds of lack of impartiality, that a commission member or examiner voluntarily recuse himself or herself from participation in a proceeding. The filing of a recusal request does not necessarily require that the commission member or examiner recuse himself or herself from further participation in the proceeding. Parties dissatisfied with the commission member or examiner's response to a recusal request have the right to request by motion, on grounds of a lack of impartiality, that the commission remove the commission member or examiner from participation in a proceeding.
ERC 18.08(4)
(4) Powers of commission or examiner conducting hearing. Subject to this chapter, the commission or examiner conducting a hearing may take the following action:
ERC 18.08(4)(c)
(c) Rule on offers of proof, receive relevant evidence and exclude irrelevant, immaterial, or unduly repetitious evidence.
ERC 18.08(4)(e)
(e) Take or cause depositions to be taken and to determine their scope.
ERC 18.08(4)(g)
(g) Dispose of procedural requests or other similar matters.
ERC 18.08(4)(h)
(h) During the course of the hearing, hold conferences for the settlement, simplification or adjustment of the issues by consent of the parties.
ERC 18.08(4)(i)
(i) Take any other action necessary under the foregoing or authorized by law.
ERC 18.08(5)
(5) Transcripts; transcript corrections. Hearings shall be stenographically transcribed by a commission-selected reporter. Any party requesting the commission to provide a transcript of a commission proceeding shall pay the fee specified in
s. ERC 10.08 (6). Corrections of the official transcript may be made by stipulation or motion when they involve errors affecting substance. When corrections are ordered, the necessary physical corrections shall be made in the official transcript.
ERC 18.08(6)(a)(a)
Stipulations of fact. Stipulations of fact may be introduced in evidence with respect to any issue.
ERC 18.08(6)(c)
(c)
Rules of evidence. Hearings in proceedings under this chapter shall be conducted in accordance with the rules of evidence and official notice provided in s.
227.45, Stats. That section provides, in part, that the commission or examiner shall not be bound by common law or statutory rules of evidence; shall admit all testimony having reasonable probative value; shall exclude immaterial, irrelevant or unduly repetitious testimony or evidence that is inadmissible under s.
901.05, Stats.; and shall give effect to rules of privilege recognized by law. Basic principles of relevancy, materiality and probative force shall govern the proof of all questions of fact. Objections to evidentiary offers and offers of proof of evidence not admitted may be made and shall be noted in the record.
ERC 18.08(6)(d)
(d)
Compelling witness attendance or evidence production at hearing. The commission or examiner or a party's attorney of record may issue a subpoena to compel the attendance of a witness or the production of evidence at the hearing.
ERC 18.08(6)(d)1.
1. 'Subpoenas issued by commission or examiner.' The commission or examiner may issue a subpoena at the request of a party or on the commission's or examiner's own motion. In advance of the time set in the subpoena for attendance, each witness who appears by subpoena shall receive for attendance the fees and mileage provided for witnesses in civil cases in courts of record in s.
814.67, Stats. The service of the subpoena and the payment of the witness and mileage fee shall be the responsibility of the party, if any, requesting the subpoena or of the commission if the subpoena was issued on the commission's or examiner's own motion.
ERC 18.08(6)(d)2.
2. 'Subpoenas issued by a party's attorney of record.' A subpoena issued by an attorney shall be in substantially the same form as provided in s.
805.07 (4), Stats., and shall be served in the manner provided in s.
805.07 (5), Stats., including payment of attendance fees and mileage provided for witnesses in civil cases in courts of record in s.
814.67, Stats. The attorney shall, at the time of issuance, send a copy of the subpoena to the commission or examiner.
ERC 18.08(6)(d)3.
3. 'Enforcement of subpoenas.' Any person who shall willfully and unlawfully fail or neglect to appear or testify or to produce books, papers and records as required by a subpoena issued under
subds. 1. or
2., shall, on commission application to a circuit court, be ordered to appear before the commission or examiner, to testify or produce evidence if so ordered, and failure to obey the order of the court may be punished by the court as a contempt of court. Any party may, by motion, request that the commission enforce a subpoena by application to a circuit court.
ERC 18.08(7)
(7) Objections. Any objection with respect to the conduct of the hearing, including any objection to the introduction of evidence, shall be stated orally with a short statement of the grounds of the objection and included in the transcript of the hearing. An objection is not waived by the objecting party's further participation in the hearing.
ERC 18.08(8)
(8) Close of evidence. Once the commission or examiner declares the taking of evidence completed, no additional evidence may be submitted except on motion for good cause.
ERC 18.08(9)
(9) Written closing arguments. Any party shall be entitled, on request made before the close of the evidence, to file a written brief within a time period set by the commission or examiner. The filing of briefs may also be directed on the commission's or examiner's own motion when warranted by the nature of the proceeding or particular issues.
ERC 18.08(10)
(10) Waiver of procedures. The parties to any proceeding, with the approval of the commission or examiner, may agree to waive any one or more of the procedural steps or decisions which would otherwise precede the issuance by the commission or examiner of a final order or other final disposition.
ERC 18.08(11)
(11) Sanctions for disruptive or contemptuous conduct. ERC 18.08(11)(a)(a)
Sanctions. If a party, representative or other person, without reasonable excuse, fails to cease engaging in disruptive or contemptuous conduct in connection with a proceeding after being directed to do so by the commission or examiner, the commission or examiner may take any action authorized by s.
227.46 (1), Stats., and appropriate in relation to the disruptive or contemptuous conduct.
ERC 18.08(11)(b)
(b)
Opportunity to show cause. Before issuing a sanctions order in writing or orally on the record, the examiner or commission shall provide the affected party, representative or other person a reasonable opportunity to show cause why the proposed sanctions order should not be issued.
ERC 18.08 History
History: CR 02-037: cr.
Register June 2006 No. 606, eff. 7-1-06.
ERC 18.09
ERC 18.09 Findings of fact, conclusions of law and declaratory ruling. ERC 18.09(1)
(1)
Issuance. After submission of the case, the commission shall make and file its findings of fact, conclusions of law and declaratory ruling. The date on which a hearing is closed, the date on which the last brief is received, or the date on which the last document necessary to the decision of the case is received, whichever is later, shall be regarded as the date of the submission of the case.
ERC 18.09(2)
(2) Contents. The findings of fact and conclusions of law shall be made upon all material issues of fact and law presented on the record. The declaratory ruling shall state the determination as to the duty to bargain on the subject or subjects submitted.
ERC 18.09(3)
(3) Public document when issued. When issued, the commission's findings of fact, conclusions of law and declaratory ruling are available for purchase from the commission's Madison office and may also be available on the commission's website and in other commission publications.
ERC 18.09 History
History: CR 02-037: cr.
Register June 2006 No. 606, eff. 7-1-06.
ERC 18.10
ERC 18.10 Application of declaratory ruling in prohibited practice proceedings. The findings of fact, conclusions of law and declaratory ruling shall bind all of the parties on all facts found and issues determined in the declaratory ruling in a prohibited practice proceeding pending or commenced after the issuance of the declaratory ruling.
ERC 18.10 History
History: CR 02-037: cr.
Register June 2006 No. 606, eff. 7-1-06.
ERC 18.11(1)(1)
Right to file; time to file; contents. A petition for rehearing shall not be a prerequisite for appeal or review. Any person aggrieved by a final order of the commission may, within 20 days after service of the order, file a written petition for rehearing which shall specify in detail the grounds for the relief sought and supporting authorities. The petition for rehearing shall be transmitted to the commission as set forth in
s. ERC 10.06 (1). A petition for rehearing is not filed until the petition has been received by the commission at its Madison office during normal business hours specified in
s. ERC 10.06 (1). The commission may order a rehearing on its own motion within 20 days after service of a final order. The commission is not required to conduct more than one rehearing based on a petition for rehearing filed under this subsection in any contested case.
ERC 18.11(2)
(2) Effect of petition. The filing of a petition for rehearing shall not suspend or delay the effective date of the commission's order, and the order shall take effect on the date established by the commission and shall continue in effect unless the petition is granted or until the order is superseded, modified, or set aside as provided by law.
ERC 18.11(3)
(3) Bases for granting. Rehearing shall be granted only on the basis of any of the following:
ERC 18.11(3)(c)
(c) The discovery of new evidence sufficiently strong to reverse or modify the order, and which could not have been previously discovered by due diligence.
ERC 18.11(4)
(4) On whom served. Copies of petitions for rehearing shall be served on all parties of record as set forth in
s. ERC 10.07. Parties may file replies to the petition. A party filing a reply shall also serve a copy on each of the other parties, as set forth in
s. ERC 10.07.
ERC 18.11(5)
(5) Disposition alternatives. The commission may order a rehearing or enter an order with reference to the petition without a hearing, and shall dispose of the petition within 30 days after it is filed. If the commission does not enter an order disposing of the petition within the 30-day period, the petition is denied by operation of law at the end of the 30-day period.
ERC 18.11(6)
(6) Rehearing proceedings. Upon granting a rehearing, the commission shall set the matter for further proceedings as soon as practicable. Rehearing proceedings shall conform as nearly as may be to the proceedings in an original hearing except as the commission may otherwise direct. If in the commission's judgment, after rehearing it appears that the original decision, order or determination is in any respect unlawful or unreasonable, the commission may reverse, change, modify or suspend it accordingly. Any decision, order or determination made after such rehearing reversing, changing, modifying or suspending the original determination shall have the same force and effect as an original decision, order or determination.
ERC 18.11 History
History: CR 02-037: cr.
Register June 2006 No. 606, eff. 7-1-06.
