(1) No election shall be conducted under ORS 243.682 (5) in any appropriate bargaining unit within which during the preceding 12-month period an election was held, nor during the term of any lawful collective bargaining agreement between a public employer and an employee representative. However, a contract with a term of more than three years shall be a bar for only the first three years of its term.
(2) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the Employment Relations Board shall rule that a contract will not be given the effect of barring an election if it finds that:
(a) Unusual circumstances exist under which the contract is no longer a stabilizing force; and
(b) An election should be held to restore stability to the representation of employees in the unit.
(3) A petition for an election where a contract exists must be filed not more than 90 calendar days and not less than 60 calendar days before the end of the contract period. If the contract is for more than three years, a petition for election may be filed any time after three years from the effective date of the contract.
(Bargaining; Mediation; Fact-Finding)