Court and Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) decisions, commentary on California public sector labor relations

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PERB Invites Comments on Proposed Filing Regulations

PERB has invited public comments on proposed regulations that update PERB’s rules governing filing requirements, case processing, service of process, as well as access and storage of case materials. According to the Initial Statement of Reasons, “these updates are intended to bring PERB in step with new case processing technologies, consolidate duplicative rules, fill procedural gaps, and simplify the Board’s procedures and processes for case adjudication in a way that make them more understandable to our non-attorney constituents.” Comments on the proposed regulations are due to the Board by Monday, November 30, 2020. More information on the proposed regulations and…

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Governor Signs AB 2850; Vetoes AB 2114

On September 29, 2020, Governor Newsom took action on the two bills affecting PERB. AB 2850: The Governor signed this bill into law. AB 2850 brings the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) under PERB’s jurisdiction. AB 2114: The Governor vetoed this bill. Here is his veto message: To the Members of the California State Assembly:I am returning Assembly Bill 2114 without my signature. This bill would require certain higher education employers to provide anarbitration or hearing officer process to challenge a termination of employment or a disciplinary action for medical and dental interns and residents. The bill excludes disciplinary actions…

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PERB Bills Awaiting Action by Governor

To my knowledge there are two bills awaiting action by the Governor that affect PERB: AB 2850: Brings the Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) under PERB’s jurisdiction. As introduced, this bill would have placed BART fully under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act. However, the bill was amended to keep BART under its own statutory scheme but to place it under PERB’s jurisdiction for enforcement. AB 2114: Amends HEERA to allow medical residents to appeal disciplinary actions that are not based on academic or clinical matters to an impartial arbitrator. The Governor has until September 30, 2020, to sign or veto these…

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AB 1867: Covid-19 Supplemental Paid Sick Leave

On September 9, 2020, Governor Newsom signed AB 1867 which provides paid sick leave to certain employees excluded from coverage by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Most of the law does not apply to the public sector, but there is one part that does. AB 1867 adds Labor Code section 248.1 which provides 80 hours of supplemental paid sick leave to employees excluded from the FFCRA as "health care providers" or "emergency responders." This section expressly applies to the public sector. The criteria and application of the paid sick leave generally follow the FFCRA but does not…

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“Make Whole” May No Longer Be Enough

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Unions have long complained that PERB’s remedial orders are insufficient.  For example, the remedy for an unlawful unilateral change is to return the parties to their prior positions (i.e. status quo ante). However, the unions often argue that merely returning to the status quo ante isn’t sufficient to remedy the harm that has occurred or to serve as a deterrent in the future. Judging from several cases issued in the last year, it appears that the Board is starting to agree. Here are several cases dealing with remedies that practitioners should take note of….

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