Decision 0165E – Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District

Although a stable negotiating relationship will not be lightly disturbed, the Sweetwater preference governs a severance inquiry just as it does an initial unit determination. Thus, in the absence of factors showing an existing two-year-old comprehensive unit to be more appropriate, a severance creating a new operations-support unit will be granted.

There is a strong preference for a presumption in favor of the Sweetwater units for classified employees. A party wishing to establish a different unit must show that the proposed unit is a more appropriate grouping than the Sweetwater units.

A severance is factually different from an initial unit determination because negotiating history must be considered when evaluating a severance. Although a stable negotiating relationship will not be lightly disturbed, the Sweetwater preference governs a severance inquiry just as it does an initial unit determination. Thus, in the absence of factors showing an existing two-year-old comprehensive unit to be more appropriate, a severance creating a new operations-support unit will be granted.