BILL NUMBER: AB 2126	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Member Bonta

                        FEBRUARY 20, 2014

   An act to amend Section 3505.2 of the Government Code, relating to
public employment.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AB 2126, as introduced, Bonta. Meyers-Milias-Brown Act: mediation.

   The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act requires the governing body of a local
public agency to meet and confer in good faith regarding wages,
hours, and other terms and conditions of employment with
representatives of a recognized employee organization. The act
requires, if a tentative agreement is reached and the governing body
adopts the tentative agreement, that the parties prepare jointly a
non binding written memorandum of understanding of the agreement.
Under existing law, if representatives of the public employee agency
and the recognized employee organization fail to reach agreement, the
parties may agree together upon the appointment of a mutually
agreeable mediator.
   This bill instead would permit either party to request mediation
and would require the parties to agree upon a mediator. If the
parties cannot agree upon a mediator, the bill would authorize either
party to request the board to mappoint a mediation. The bill would
require the board to appoint a mediator within 5 days after receipt
of the party's request, as prescribed.
   Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes.
State-mandated local program: no.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  SECTION 1.  Section 3505.2 of the Government Code is amended to
read:
   3505.2.  If after a reasonable period of time, representatives of
the public agency and the recognized employee organization fail to
reach agreement,  either  the public agency  and
  or  the recognized employee organization or
recognized employee organizations  together may agree upon
the appointment of a mediator mutually agreeable to the parties.
  may request   mediation. Within five days of
a request by one of the parties, both of the parties shall agree upon
the appointment of a mediator mutually agreeable to the parties. If
the parties fail to agree upon the selection of a mediator within
five days, either party may request that the board appoint a
mediator. No later than five days after the receipt of either party's
request, the board shall appoint a mediator in accordance with the
rules prescribed by the board.  Costs of mediation shall be
divided one-half to the public agency and one-half to the recognized
employee organization or recognized employee organizations.