Government management officials shall recognize a qualified employee organization as the exclusive representative of public employees in an appropriate employee unit when determination is made that the organization has a membership of not less than ten percent (10%) of the total number of employees in the unit, and has been designated as their exclusive repre- sentative by a majority of the unit employees, except that such recognition shall not preclude:

(a) any public employee, regardless of employee organization membership, from consulting with appropriate government officials on matters of personal concern to such employee or from choosing his own representative in a grievance or appellate procedure; and

(b) consultations between government officials and other lawful special interest groups or associations on policies or matters of concern to public employee members of such groups, provided that, such consultations shall not result in actions inconsistent with the recognition of an exclusive representative in an employee unit or adverse to the interest of other employees in such units.

SOURCE: GC § 4408.