Meet and confer: observation., the official text

An act to add Section 3570.1 to the Government Code, relating to higher education employment relations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

Existing law provides for negotiations concerning wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment between a higher education employer and an exclusive representative of a recognized or certified employee organization, as these terms are defined. Existing law requires higher education employers, or such representatives as they may designate, to engage in meeting and conferring with the employee organization selected as exclusive representative of an appropriate unit on all matters within the scope of representation. Existing law requires a reasonable number of representatives of an exclusive representative to have the right to receive reasonable periods of released or reassigned time without loss of compensation when engaged in meeting and conferring and for the processing of grievances prior to the adoption of the initial memorandum of understanding.
This bill would authorize an exclusive representative, in their discretion, to invite one or more members of a bargaining unit to remotely observe a session held for the purpose of a meet and confer on a memorandum of understanding. The bill would prohibit, absent an agreement of the parties, a member of a bargaining unit observing a session pursuant to these provisions from receiving released or reassigned time or compensation to observe a session. The bill would not prevent the parties from agreeing to allow in-person observers or greater participation by observers in a meet and confer session. The bill would also not require any change in existing practices that allow in-person observers or greater participation by observers in a meet and confer session.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.
Section 3570.1 is added to the Government Code, to read:
3570.1.
(a) An exclusive representative may, in their discretion, invite one or more members of a bargaining unit to remotely observe a session held for the purpose of a meet and confer on a memorandum of understanding. At the request of the exclusive representative, remote access shall be provided for this purpose. A remote observer may not delay or disrupt a meet and confer session.
(b) Absent an agreement of the parties, a member of a bargaining unit observing a session pursuant to this section shall not receive released or reassigned time or compensation to observe a session.
(c) Nothing in this section shall prevent the parties from agreeing to allow in-person observers or greater participation by observers in sessions held for the purpose of a meet and confer. Nothing in this section shall require any change in existing practices that allow in-person observers or greater participation by observers in sessions held for the purpose of a meet and confer.