Category: Legislation

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COIN v. CRONEY: SB 331 Advances in Legislature

The Birth of COIN

In 2012, the City of Costa Mesa adopted an ordinance aimed at making collective bargaining more transparent. Costa Mesa called its ordinance “Civic Openness in Negotiations” or COIN. Since then several other public agencies have adopted similar COIN ordinances, including Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, Fullerton, and Orange County. (Click here for Orange County Register article.) COIN ordinances generally have some or all of these features:

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Governor to Sign SB 358 – California Fair Pay Act

SB 358, titled the California Fair Pay Act (CFPA), was introduced by Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) on February 25, 2015.  The bill strengthens an existing law that prohibits paying women less than men for performing the same job. The Los Angeles Times called the CFPA "the nation's most aggressive attempt yet to close the salary gap between men and women." The bill was amended several times as it went through the Legislature. After some amendments to address the concerns of employers, even the California Chamber of Commerce dropped its opposition to the bill. On August 31, 2015, SB 358 passed the California Senate unanimously, a…

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Governor Vetoes AB 2126

Governor Brown has vetoed AB 2126, which would have made mediation mandatory and expanded the scope of factfinding under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA).  Here is the Governor's veto message: To the Members of the California State Assembly: I am returning Assembly Bill 2126 without my signature. This bill would amend the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act to provide that mediation in the collective bargaining process may be invoked by one party, rather than requiring both parties to mutually declare impasse and request mediation as required under current law. The bill would also specify that fact finding is not limited to disputes over a new…

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Governor Signs Paid Sick Leave Law

Today, Governor Brown signed AB 1522 (Gonzalez), the “Healthy Workplaces, Healthy Families Act of 2014.”  The law requires, effective July 1, 2015, that employers provide at least three days of paid sick leave per year.  So what is the effect of this law on public employers?  Here are some key things you need to know:

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AB 2126 Passes Appropriations; Awaits Floor Vote in Senate

On August 14, AB 2126 passed the Senate Appropriations Committee and now awaits a floor vote.  AB 2126 is the last remaining bill in this Legislative session that would substantially affect PERB.  AB 2126 would make mediation mandatory and expand (or "clarify" in the words of the bill) the scope of factfinding under the MMBA.  The bill has to pass the Senate by August 31.  If it does, the Governor has until September 30 to sign or veto it.  

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