Section 70218 Of Article 2. Transitional Provisions For Unification From California Government Code >> Title 8. >> Chapter 5.1. >> Article 2.
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. When the municipal and superior court in a county are
unified:
(a) Article 3 (commencing with Section 71630) of Chapter 7 of
Title 8 shall be fully applicable to the county and the unified
superior court.
(b) An employee organization that has been previously recognized
as a representative of a group of court employees or the exclusive
representative of an established appropriate bargaining unit of court
employees, either by the county or municipal court or superior court
shall continue to be recognized as a representative or the exclusive
representative of the same employees of the county or unified
superior court.
(c) An existing memorandum of understanding or agreement between
the county, a municipal court, or a superior court shall remain in
effect and be fully binding on the county, the unified superior
court, and the employee organization involved for the term of the
agreement. However, in the event of an election held under paragraph
(2) of subdivision (e), (1) a memorandum of understanding or
agreement with an employee organization that is no longer recognized
as the exclusive representative shall continue in effect and be
administered by the employee organization that receives a majority of
votes in the election and is certified or recognized pursuant to
paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), provided that the memorandum of
understanding or agreement shall be subject to reopening on request
of either the unified superior court or the newly certified or
recognized employee organization, provided that no changes in that
memorandum of understanding or agreement may be made during its term
without mutual agreement of the unified superior court and the newly
certified or recognized employee organization, and (2) a memorandum
of understanding or agreement with an employee organization that
receives a majority of votes in the election shall remain in full
force and effect until its expiration or until replaced by a
subsequent memorandum of understanding or agreement.
(d) Nothing in this article shall disturb or affect any court- or
county-established appropriate bargaining unit or memorandum of
understanding or agreement between an employee organization and a
county or court, unless subdivision (e) applies.
(e) (1) Where there is more than one employee organization that
has been previously recognized as the exclusive representative of
employees of the municipal court and the superior court, the county
and the unified superior court shall continue to recognize each
exclusive representative of each bargaining unit and shall continue
to be bound by any existing memorandum of understanding or agreement
covering those employees for a period not to exceed 225 days from
date of unification, pending the exhaustion of the election procedure
set forth in paragraph (2). Any conflicts in the existing agreements
as to wages and other terms and conditions of employment shall be
subject to negotiation between the county or unified superior court
and each of the exclusive representatives.
(2) If after unification it is determined that two or more
exclusive representatives seek to represent employees in a single
appropriate bargaining unit, the unified superior court shall conduct
a representation election in accordance with Article 3 (commencing
with Section 71630) of Chapter 7 of Title 8. With respect to this
process (A) the unified court shall meet and confer in good faith
with all incumbent exclusive representatives regarding the
establishment of appropriate bargaining units, (B) the county or
unified superior court shall maintain a neutral position as to the
competing employee organizations in the election, (C) the employee
organization shall be certified or recognized as the exclusive
bargaining representative upon receiving a majority of the votes cast
in the representation election, (D) the election of an exclusive
representative shall be conducted no later than 180 days from the
effective date of unification or the effective date of this
subparagraph, whichever comes later, and (E) the certification or
recognition of an exclusive representative shall be complete no later
than 45 days from the date of the election.
(f) This section applies to all unified superior courts, and the
counties and employee organizations involved, beginning on the date
of unification.