Chapter 2. Transitional Provisions of California Government Code >> Title 23. >> Chapter 2.

It is the intent of the Legislature to stabilize the labor and employment relations of individual providers in order to provide continuity of care and services to the maximum extent possible, and consistent with the responsibilities of the Statewide Authority under the act adding this title.

For the purposes of this title, the county implementation date is defined in subdivision (a) of Section 12300.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

For purposes of collective bargaining, and as expressly set forth in subdivision (d) of Section 110003, the Statewide Authority is deemed to be the employer of record of individual providers in each county as of the county implementation date. In-home supportive services recipients shall retain the right to hire, fire, and supervise the work of the individual providers providing services to them.

Individual providers employed by any predecessor agency as of the county implementation date shall retain employee status and shall not be required by the Statewide Authority to requalify to receive payment for providing services pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. In the same manner as set forth in subdivision (e) of Section 12305.86 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the Statewide Authority shall accept a clearance that was obtained or accepted by any predecessor agency pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Existence of a clearance shall be determined by verification through the case management, information, and payroll system of the predecessor agency that the predecessor agency has deemed the provider to be eligible to receive payment for providing services pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 12300) of Chapter 3 of Part 3 of Division 9 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

On the county implementation date, separate bargaining units shall be created consistent with the bargaining units that have been recognized by predecessor agencies. Bargaining units consisting of employees in a single county shall be the only appropriate unit for collective bargaining under this title. In those counties where no recognized employee organization exists as of the county implementation date, a bargaining unit consisting of all employees in that county shall be deemed an appropriate unit for collective bargaining.

If, on the county implementation date, individual providers are represented by a recognized employee organization, the Statewide Authority shall be deemed the successor employer of the predecessor agency for the purposes of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement, and shall be obligated to recognize and to meet and confer in good faith with the recognized employee organization on all matters within the scope of representation, as defined in Section 110023, as to those individual providers.

Negotiations between the Statewide Authority and recognized employee organizations shall be conducted only in the following manner:
  (a) As of July 1, 2012, all recognized employee organizations affiliated with the same national parent union shall negotiate as a coalition on behalf of all bargaining units they represent. If recognized employee organizations are affiliated with two or more different national parent unions, those recognized employee organizations shall also negotiate as a coalition on behalf of all bargaining units they represent.
  (b) An employee organization obtaining recognition after July 1, 2012, which is affiliated with the same national parent union or unions as the coalitions described in subdivision (a), shall become a part of the coalition affiliated with its same national parent union or unions.
  (c) An employee organization not affiliated with a national parent union covered by subdivision (a), that obtains recognition after July 1, 2012, and represents fewer than 100,000 employees subject to this title, shall negotiate as a member of a coalition, separate from the coalitions described in subdivision (a) and comprised of all those recognized employee organizations on behalf of all units they collectively represent. If that employee organization represents 100,000 or more employees subject to this title, it shall have the right to negotiate as its own coalition on behalf of all bargaining units it represents.
  (d) Each coalition negotiating with the Statewide Authority may enter into supplemental bargaining of unit-specific issues for inclusion in, or as an addendum to, collective bargaining agreements, subject to the parties' agreement regarding the issues and procedures for supplemental bargaining. This section does not prohibit coordination of bargaining between two or more bargaining coalitions.

(a) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this title, the enactment of this title shall not be a cause for the employer or any predecessor agency to modify or eliminate any existing memorandum of agreement or understanding, or to modify existing wages, benefits, or other terms and conditions of employment. Except to the extent set forth in this title, the enactment of this title shall not prevent the modification of existing wages, benefits, or terms and conditions of employment through the meet and confer in good faith process or, in those situations in which the employees are not represented by a recognized employee organization, through appropriate procedures.
  (b) On the county implementation date, subject to Section 12306.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the Statewide Authority shall assume the predecessor agency's rights and obligations under any memorandum of understanding or agreement between the predecessor agency and a recognized employee organization that is in effect on the county implementation date for the duration thereof. Absent mutual consent to reopen, the terms of any transferred memorandum of understanding or agreement shall continue until the memorandum of understanding or agreement has expired. If a memorandum of understanding or agreement between a recognized employee organization and a predecessor agency has expired and has not been replaced by a successor memorandum of understanding or agreement as of the county implementation date, the Statewide Authority shall assume the obligation to meet and confer in good faith with the recognized employee organization.
  (c) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, except to the extent set forth in this chapter and as limited by Section 110023, the terms and conditions of any memorandum of understanding or agreement between a predecessor agency and a recognized employee organization in effect on the county implementation date shall not be reduced, except by mutual agreement between the recognized employee organization and the Statewide Authority.
  (d) Nothing in this title shall be construed to relieve any predecessor agency of its obligation to meet and confer in good faith with a recognized employee organization pursuant to the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (Chapter 10 (commencing with Section 3500) of Division 4 of Title 1) until the county implementation date. Nothing in this title shall permit the predecessor agency to meet and confer after the Statewide Authority assumes the predecessor agency's rights and obligations on the county implementation date.
  (e) With the exception of all economic terms covered by Section 12306.15 of the Welfare and Institutions Code and notwithstanding any other provision of law, beginning July 1, 2012, and ending on the county implementation date as set forth in subdivision (a) of Section 12300.7 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, any alterations or modifications to either current or expired memoranda of understanding that were in effect on July 1, 2012, and any newly negotiated memoranda of understanding or agreements reached after July 1, 2012, shall be submitted for review to the State Department of Social Services, hereafter referred to as the department. This review requirement shall not begin until a county commences transition pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 14132.275 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, and shall be performed by the department until the Statewide Authority becomes operational, after which date the Statewide Authority shall continue to perform this review requirement. If, upon review, but not later than 180 days after the county commences transition pursuant to subdivision (g) of Section 14132.275 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, the department or Statewide Authority reasonably determines that there are one or more newly negotiated or amended noneconomic terms in the memorandum of understanding or agreement to which it objects for a bona fide business-related reason, the department or Statewide Authority shall provide written notice to the signatory recognized employee organization of each objection and the reason for it. Upon demand from the recognized employee organization, the department, or the Statewide Authority, those parties shall meet and confer regarding the objection and endeavor to reach agreement prior to the county implementation date. If an agreement is reached, it shall not become effective prior to the county implementation date. If an agreement is not reached by the county implementation date, the objectionable language is deemed inoperable as of the county implementation date. All terms to which no objection is made shall be deemed accepted by the Statewide Authority. If the Statewide Authority or the department fails to provide the 180 days' notice of objection, it shall be deemed waived.

If the Statewide Authority and the recognized employee organization negotiate changes to locally administered health benefits for individual providers, the Statewide Authority shall give 90 days' notice to the county and an entity established pursuant to Section 12301.6 of the Welfare and Institutions Code prior to implementation of the agreed-upon changes.