AB 1582: Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act: collective bargaining: unfair labor practices.

Official summary

Legislative Counsel’s Digest (official, as of the latest version). Written by nonpartisan legislative staff; reproduced verbatim.

Existing law, the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act, administered by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB), provides for negotiations concerning wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment between a higher education employer, as defined, and representatives of recognized employee organizations. Existing law grants higher education employees the right to form, join, and participate in the activities of employee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation on all matters of employer-employee relations and for the purpose of meeting and conferring with their employer.

Existing law authorizes an employer and an exclusive representative who enter into a written memorandum of understanding to agree to procedures for final and binding arbitration of disputes that may arise under the memorandum of understanding or between the parties. Existing law makes it unlawful for the higher education employer to, among other things, refuse or fail to meet and confer with an exclusive representative.

This bill would, with respect to arbitrations over violations of a collective bargaining agreement for the contracting out of bargaining unit work, make it an unfair practice for a higher education employer to, among other things, circumvent or disregard an arbitrator’s decision by extending or renewing an existing contract or entering into a new contract for the same or similar services at the same location, or violating a contract term already interpreted by an arbitrator to prohibit the employer’s conduct.

This bill would prohibit PERB, among other things, from deferring repeat offenses in the above-described cases to subsequent arbitration proceedings. The bill would require remedies for a violation of these provisions to include the charging party’s attorney’s fees and costs.

Sponsors

Sponsors by party (alphabetical): Democratic 2

“Support” is shown only as formal sponsorship recorded by the legislature. Roll-call votes are available on the official bill page.

Recent official actions

1. June 17, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on JUD. (Ayes 4. Noes 1.) (June 17). Re-referred to Com. on JUD.
2. June 8, 2026From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on L., P.E. & R.
3. June 3, 2026Referred to Coms. on L., P.E. & R. and JUD.
4. May 27, 2026In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.
5. May 26, 2026Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 67. Noes 7. Page 5355.)
6. May 19, 2026Read second time. Ordered to third reading.
7. May 18, 2026Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.
8. May 14, 2026From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 13. Noes 2.) (May 14).
9. May 6, 2026In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
10. March 18, 2026From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0.) (March 18). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
11. March 18, 2026Coauthors revised.
12. February 2, 2026Referred to Com. on P. E. & R.