California – The Union Power State

California union officials are doing something with all those forced dues they collect public sector (including teachers), with all this anti-Janus legislation. Edward Ring, of The California Policy Center has comprised a list of anti-Janus legislation. Janus v. AFSCME Local 31 is a case brought by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation on behalf of Mark Janus, which could give public-sector employees across the country the freedom to join or refrain from union membership or support.

CALIFORNIA’S ENACTED ANTI-JANUS LEGISLATION

AB-83 Collective bargaining: Judicial Council – enacted

SB-201 Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act: employees – enacted

SB-285 Public employers: union organizing – enacted

SB-550 Public school employment: meeting and negotiating: legal actions: settlement offer: attorney’s fees – enacted

CALIFORNIA’S PENDING ANTI-JANUS LEGISLATION

AB-1937 Public employment: payroll deductions – passed Assembly

AB-2017 Public employers: employee organizations – passed Assembly

AB-2049 Classified school and community college employees: payroll deductions for employee organization dues – passed Assembly

The Hotel California Contract – You Can Check In, But Checking Out…

AB-2886 Public Employee Relations Board: Orange County Transportation Authority: San Joaquin Regional Transit District – passed Assembly

AB-3034 Public transit employer-employee relations: San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District – passed Assembly

SUMMARY OF ANTI-JANUS LEGISLATION

So in response to Janus, California’s unions representing public servants are doing the following:

1 – Expanding the pool of public employees eligible to join unions – AB 83, SB 201, and AB 3034

2 – Making it difficult, if not impossible, for employers to discuss the pros and cons of unionization with employees – SB 285 and AB-2017

3 – Precluding local governments from unilaterally honoring employee requests to stop paying union dues – AB 1937 and AB-2049

4 – Making employers pay union legal fees if they lose in litigation but not making unions pay employer costs if the unions lose – SB 5505 – Moving the venue for dispute resolution from the courts to PERB, which is stacked with pro-union board members – SB 285 and AB 2886

This catalog of countermeasures to Janus is undoubtedly incomplete.