20250AB__034098AMD INTRODUCED 2025-01-28 AMENDED_ASSEMBLY 2025-03-05 2025 AB AMD Introduced by Assembly Member Ahrens LEAD_AUTHOR ASSEMBLY Ahrens

An act to add

Section 3558.9 to the Government Code, relating to employer-employee relations. employer-employee relations Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. Existing law that governs the labor relations of public employees and employers, including, among others, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, the Ralph C.

Dills Act, provisions relating to public schools, and provisions relating to higher education, prohibits employers from taking certain actions relating to employee organization, including imposing or threatening to impose reprisals on employees, discriminating or threatening to discriminate against employees, or otherwise interfering with, restraining, or coercing employees because of their exercise of their guaranteed rights. Those provisions of existing law further prohibit denying to employee organizations the rights guaranteed to them by existing law.

This bill would prohibit a public employer from questioning a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation.

The bill would also prohibit a public employer from compelling a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative to disclose those confidential communications to a third party. The bill would not apply to a criminal investigation or when a public safety officer is under investigation and certain circumstances exist. MAJORITY NO YES NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION

Section 3558.9 is added to the Government Code , to read: 3558.9. (a)

(1) A public employer shall not question a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative regarding communications made in confidence between a public employee and the representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. (2) Paragraph (1) is intended to be consistent with, and not in conflict with, William S. Hart Union High School District

(2018) PERB Dec. No. 2595. (

b) A public employer shall not compel a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative to disclose to a third party, communications made in confidence between a public employee and the representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. (

c) Notwithstanding subdivisions (

a) and (b), this

section does not apply to a criminal investigation and does not supersede

Section 3303. <caml:Num>SECTION 1.</caml:Num><caml:Content><xhtml:p>The Legislature finds and declares the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>It is the intent of the Legislature, in enacting this act, to establish an employee-union representative privilege in the context of California public employment.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>As with the attorney-client privilege, there is a strong interest in encouraging an employee accused of wrongdoing to communicate fully and frankly with their union representative, in order to receive accurate advice about the disciplinary process.

The expectation of confidentiality is critical to the employee-union representative privilege.

Without confidentiality, union members would be hesitant to be fully forthcoming with their representatives, detrimentally impacting a union representative’s ability to advise and represent union members with questions or problems.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>This employee-labor organization representative privilege is intended to extend to communications made in confidence, in connection with representation relating to concerted activities, including, but not limited to, anticipated or ongoing disciplinary proceedings, between an employee and their recognized labor organization representative, and where the representative is acting in their official representative capacity.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>This privilege does not extend to criminal investigations, but does prohibit the employing agency from compelling any disclosures, including to third parties.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>It is the intent of the legislature to supersede American Airlines, Inc. v.

Superior Court, 114 Cal.App.4th 881 (2003).</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_1941ED6D-7274-4352-B1DB-B604C9171C22"><caml:Num>SEC. 2.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:GOV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'10.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'3506.5.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section 3506.5 of the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_22949D23-6B97-418C-8D77-A15FDCDC39F4"><caml:Num>3506.5.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_B3793743-A8FF-4C17-A24C-66833B8B7AC6"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>A public agency shall not do any of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Impose or threaten to impose reprisals on employees, to discriminate or threaten to discriminate against employees, or otherwise to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees because of their exercise of rights guaranteed by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Deny to employee organizations the rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Question any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse or fail to meet and negotiate in good faith with a recognized employee organization.

For purposes of this subdivision, knowingly providing a recognized employee organization with inaccurate information regarding the financial resources of the public employer, whether or not in response to a request for information, constitutes a refusal or failure to meet and negotiate in good faith.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, contribute financial or other support to any employee organization, or in any way encourage employees to join any organization in preference to another.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse to participate in good faith in an applicable impasse procedure.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_88AE3C3E-D9A2-4A6B-98BF-E7E57D41D94A"><caml:Num>SEC. 3.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:GOV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'10.3.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'3519.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_AAB6B3AC-187F-4EFC-8CD1-3EF09E9BCF4B"><caml:Num>3519.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_BA16A28D-BD66-46B2-97D6-6C5CCE20DB81"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>It shall be unlawful for the state to do any of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Impose or threaten to impose reprisals on employees, to discriminate or threaten to discriminate against employees, or otherwise to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees because of their exercise of rights guaranteed by this chapter.

For purposes of this subdivision, “employee” includes an applicant for employment or reemployment.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Deny to employee organizations rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Question any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization's representation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse or fail to meet and confer in good faith with a recognized employee organization.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, or contribute financial or other support to it, or in any way encourage employees to join any organization in preference to another.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse to participate in good faith in the mediation procedure set forth in

Section 3518.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_0D667C01-85CA-470C-847E-D645BE46C8C1"><caml:Num>SEC. 4.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:GOV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'10.7.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'3543.5.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section 3543.5 of the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_50AB33FF-4A98-4F3C-9E6A-AC3F6E00CFE2"><caml:Num>3543.5.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_CAEDBCF4-1BED-4421-B3C2-8B1B97E5EE4F"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>It is unlawful for a public school employer to do any of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Impose or threaten to impose reprisals on employees, to discriminate or threaten to discriminate against employees, or otherwise to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees because of their exercise of rights guaranteed by this chapter.

For purposes of this subdivision, “employee” includes an applicant for employment or reemployment.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Deny to employee organizations rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Question any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. </xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse or fail to meet and negotiate in good faith with an exclusive representative.

Knowingly providing an exclusive representative with inaccurate information, whether or not in response to a request for information, regarding the financial resources of the public school employer constitutes a refusal or failure to meet and negotiate in good faith.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, or contribute financial or other support to it, or in any way encourage employees to join any organization in preference to another.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse to participate in good faith in the impasse procedure set forth in

Article 9 (commencing with

Section 3548).</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_A1ABB383-38AC-424A-B6B8-5147FD28DD04"><caml:Num>SEC. 5.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:GOV:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'TITLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'1.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'12.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'ARTICLE'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'3571.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Government Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_04DE2EAB-2F91-44C8-87E6-1578673A4E83"><caml:Num>3571.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_BC3F19A6-3A9B-450D-B7E8-B3DADE5EEB9C"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>It shall be unlawful for the higher education employer to do any of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Impose or threaten to impose reprisals on employees, to discriminate or threaten to discriminate against employees, or otherwise to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees because of their exercise of rights guaranteed by this chapter.

For purposes of this subdivision, “employee” includes an applicant for employment or reemployment.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Deny to employee organizations rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Question any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse or fail to engage in meeting and conferring with an exclusive representative.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, or contribute financial or other support to it, or in any way encourage employees to join any organization in preference to another.

However, subject to rules and regulations adopted by the board pursuant to

Section 3563, an employer shall not be prohibited from permitting employees to engage in meeting and conferring or consulting during working hours without loss of pay or benefits.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse to participate in good faith in the impasse procedure set forth in

Article 9 (commencing with

Section 3590).</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(g)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Consult with any academic, professional, or staff advisory group on any matter within the scope of representation for employees who are represented by an exclusive representative, or for whom an employee organization has filed a request for recognition or certification as an exclusive representative until such time as the request is withdrawn or an election has been held in which “no representative” received a majority of the votes cast.

This subdivision is not intended to diminish the prohibition of unfair practices contained in subdivision (d).

For the purposes of this subdivision, the term “academic” shall not be deemed to include the academic senates.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection><caml:BillSection id="id_EA143A7C-906C-4E59-8CFB-34C8181AA7E5"><caml:Num>SEC. 6.</caml:Num><caml:ActionLine action="IS_AMENDED" xlink:href="urn:caml:codes:PUC:caml#xpointer(%2Fcaml%3ALawDoc%2Fcaml%3ACode%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'DIVISION'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'10.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'PART'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'2.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawHeading%5B%40type%3D'CHAPTER'%20and%20caml%3ANum%3D'4.'%5D%2Fcaml%3ALawSection%5Bcaml%3ANum%3D'28858.'%5D)" xlink:label="fractionType: LAW_SECTION" xlink:type="locator">Section of the <caml:DocName>Public Utilities Code</caml:DocName> is amended to read:</caml:ActionLine><caml:Fragment><caml:LawSection id="id_823605EE-9F39-4F6A-A730-891FEE8399E9"><caml:Num>28858.</caml:Num><caml:LawSectionVersion id="id_4E3A2C2C-CFD0-486E-BEEC-BE00BD9817A0"><caml:Content><xhtml:p>It is unlawful for the district to do any of the following:</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(a)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Impose or threaten to impose reprisals on employees, to discriminate or threaten to discriminate against employees, or otherwise to interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees because of their exercise of rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.

As used in this subdivision, “employee” includes an applicant for employment or reemployment with the district.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(b)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Deny employee organizations rights guaranteed to them by this chapter.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(c)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Question any employee or employee representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(d)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse or fail to meet and negotiate in good faith with an exclusive representative.

Knowingly providing an exclusive representative with inaccurate information, whether or not it is in response to a request for information, constitutes a refusal or failure of the district to meet and negotiate in good faith with the exclusive representative.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(e)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Dominate or interfere with the formation or administration of any employee organization, or contribute financial or other support to it, or in any way encourage employees to join any employee organization in preference to another.</xhtml:p><xhtml:p>(f)<xhtml:span class="EnSpace"/>Refuse to participate in good faith in mutually agreed upon impasse procedures.</xhtml:p></caml:Content></caml:LawSectionVersion></caml:LawSection></caml:Fragment></caml:BillSection>"?>