Category: News

<!-- Decorative image -->

Governor Signs AB 168 (Salary Information)

The Governor has signed AB 168 by Assemblymember Susan Eggman (D-Stockton) which prohibits all employers, including state and local governments, from seeking salary history information about an applicant for employment. The law also requires an employer to provide the pay scale for a position to an applicant upon reasonable request.  According to the author, "The practice of seeking or requiring the salary history of job applicants helps perpetuate wage inequality that has spanned generations of women in the workforce." Comments: This law takes effect on January 1, 2018 and expressly applies to "all employers, including state and local government employers and the Legislature."…

Read More
<!-- Decorative image -->

PERB Efficiencies Meetings Begin Friday

PERB has scheduled a series of meetings throughout the state to discuss its Case Efficiencies Initiative.  These meetings are an opportunity for stakeholders to provide PERB ideas on how to streamline and improve its current processes. The meetings are scheduled as follows: Sacramento: September 22 for external stakeholders.  9:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. at PERB's office at 1031 18th Street, Suite 103, Sacramento, CA 95811. Glendale: September 28 for external Stakeholders.  9:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. at PERB's office at 700 N. Central Avenue, Suite 200, Glendale, CA 91203. Oakland: October 5 for external Stakeholders.  9:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. at PERB's office at 1330…

Read More
<!-- Decorative image -->

PERB’s End of Fiscal Year Numbers for 2016-17

Overview: PERB issues 55 decisions PERB’s annual report for fiscal year 2016-17 is due on October 15, 2017. Until then, I have some preliminary numbers based on my tracking of PERB decisions. According to my records, PERB issued a total of 55 decisions this past year.  The prior year PERB issued 70 decisions. Here are other preliminary numbers: Decisions by Statute (Including Non-Precedential Decisions): EERA: 23 MMBA: 22 HEERA: 4 Dills Act: 3 Trial Court: 3 Court Interpreter: 0 LA Met: 0 Decisions by Precedence: Precedential: 33 Non-Precedential: 22 Decisions by Type: Appeals from Dismissals: 23 Exceptions to ALJ Decisions:…

Read More
<!-- Decorative image -->

PERB Schedules Meetings to Discuss Efficiency Initiative

The Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) has started a Case Processing Efficiencies Initiative to look at ways to improve the processing of cases. PERB has contracted with Mission Consulting to facilitate a series of statewide meetings with PERB staff and external stakeholders to solicit ideas on how to streamline its current processes. The final schedule for the meetings will be set at PERB's August 31, 2017 meeting.  But here is the tentative schedule: External Stakeholders Meetings: Sacramento on September 22 Glendale on September 28 Oakland on October 5 To view the new release click here. The meetings will be held…

Read More
<!-- Decorative image -->

FAQs on AB 119 – California’s New Employee Orientation Law (Part III)

Earlier this week I wrote about the staff report to the Board on implementing AB 119. Now that we have the staff report, here is Part III of my FAQ’s related to AB 119. This part focuses on PERB’s role.  (Click here for Part I and here for Part II.)

How is an arbitrator selected for compulsory interest arbitration? Upon request, the State Mediation and Conciliation Service (SMCS)—which is now part of PERB—will provide a list of arbitrators.  The staff report recommends that PERB utilize existing SMCS procedures for requesting and processing requests for lists of arbitrators. The statute requires the list to be provided within seven (7) days, but PERB’s practice is to provide the list almost immediately. But remember that PERB requires a payment of $50 for the list. Once the list is provided, the parties have seven days to make a mutual selection from the list of arbitrators or go through a process where each party takes a turn striking a name until there is only one remaining. (Gov. Code §3557(b)(2).)

Read More