An act to amend Section 3572 of the Government Code, relating to the California State University.
Summary
AB 1818 would amend the California State University employer-employee relations statute governing the “meet and confer” process when collective bargaining agreements include items that require legislative or budgetary action. Under current law, if a memorandum of understanding depends on funding or other action by the Legislature or Governor and that action is not taken, the matter is referred back to the parties for further negotiations. This bill changes who makes that threshold determination: instead of the Director of Finance, the Public Employment Relations Board would provide written notification to the parties when legislative action is required and the needed funding or curative action has not been fully provided.
The bill is narrowly focused on Government Code Section 3572, which applies only to California State University. It does not change the underlying rule that agreements requiring budgetary or curative action are not effective until that action occurs, nor does it alter the ability of nonbudgetary provisions to take effect if the parties agree. Its main effect is procedural, shifting the notification authority from the Department of Finance to PERB in disputes involving CSU labor agreements with fiscal implications.
Impact
AB 1818 would revise state law governing CSU labor negotiations by replacing the Director of Finance with the Public Employment Relations Board as the entity that issues written notice when a memorandum of understanding requires legislative action and the Legislature or Governor does not fully fund or otherwise act. This would affect CSU, employee organizations representing CSU workers, the Department of Finance, and PERB, while leaving the substantive bargaining framework intact. Because the bill concerns labor relations and fiscal procedures, it was referred to the Appropriations Committee and identified as a fiscal bill, though it is not an appropriation measure itself.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests generally favorable support for the bill. It received a unanimous 7-0 do-pass vote in an earlier committee action and later advanced from committee with a 4-1 vote before being re-referred to Appropriations. No committee transcript excerpts were provided, so there is no recorded floor or committee debate to indicate broader public controversy in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been treated as a technical or procedural adjustment rather than a major policy change.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be institutional authority: AB 1818 shifts the formal determination and notification role from the Director of Finance to the Public Employment Relations Board. That change could matter because it moves the process away from a budget-focused executive branch office and toward the state labor relations board, which may be viewed differently by CSU management, employee organizations, and fiscal কর্মকর্তারা. Any opposition would likely center on whether PERB is the appropriate body to make or communicate this determination, and whether the change could affect timing, neutrality, or oversight in negotiations involving state funding.
An act to add and repeal Article 12 (commencing with Section 89298) of Chapter 2 of Part 55 of Division 8 of Title 3 of the Education Code, relating to public postsecondary education.