§ 204. Recognition  and  certification  of  employee organizations. 1.
  Public  employers   are   hereby   empowered   to   recognize   employee
  organizations  for  the  purpose  of  negotiating  collectively  in  the
  determination of, and administration of grievances  arising  under,  the
  terms and conditions of employment of their public employees as provided
  in this article, and to negotiate and enter into written agreements with
  such  employee organizations in determining such terms and conditions of
  employment.
    2. Where an employee organization has  been  certified  or  recognized
  pursuant  to  the  provisions of this article, it shall be the exclusive
  representative, for the purposes of this article, of all  the  employees
  in the appropriate negotiating unit, and the appropriate public employer
  shall  be,  and  hereby is, required to negotiate collectively with such
  employee organization in the determination  of,  and  administration  of
  grievances  arising under, the terms and conditions of employment of the
  public employees as provided in this article, and to negotiate and enter
  into written agreements with such employee organizations in  determining
  such terms and conditions of employment.
    3.  For  the purpose of this article, to negotiate collectively is the
  performance of the mutual  obligation  of  the  public  employer  and  a
  recognized  or  certified  employee  organization  to meet at reasonable
  times and confer in good faith with respect to wages, hours,  and  other
  terms  and conditions of employment, or the negotiation of an agreement,
  or any question arising thereunder,  and  the  execution  of  a  written
  agreement  incorporating  any  agreement  reached if requested by either
  party, but such obligation does not compel either party to  agree  to  a
  proposal or require the making of a concession.