EMPLOYER INTERFERENCE, RESTRAINT, COERCION, EMPLOYER CONDUCT AFFECTING ORGANIZING, UNION ACCESS; SOLICITATION, AND OTHER UNION RIGHTS – Right to Address Governing Board

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An exclusive representative has a right to engage in direct and indirect advocacy with an employer’s elected and unelected officials, up to and including the employer’s highest levels, provided that the exclusive representative does not make new collective bargaining proposals that the exclusive representative has not already made in negotiations with the employer’s chosen bargaining team. (Anaheim Union High School District (2015) PERB Decision No. 2434, pp. 52-53; Westminster School District (1982) PERB Decision No. 277, p. 10; San Ramon Valley Unified School District (1982) PERB Decision No. 230, pp. 16-18.) Union representative’s e-mails to County’s Board of Supervisors were protected advocacy and not impermissible direct dealing, where Union representative’s e-mails did not present any proposals that the Union had not already made in negotiations or advocate for contract terms differing materially from previous Union proposals. (PARTIALLY OVERRULING County of Inyo (2005) PERB Decision No. 1783-M, to extent it found that union engaged in direct dealing during a presentation to the employer’s board where there was no allegation that the union made new proposals from those union sought in bargaining during the presentation.)