Employees shall have the right to self-organization, to form, join, or assist labor organizations, to bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing, and to engage in other concerted activities for the purpose of collective bargaining or other mutual aid or protection. It is declared to be in the public interest that the district shall not express any preference for one union over another. Notwithstanding any other provision of this part, whenever a majority of the employees employed by the district in a unit appropriate for collective bargaining indicate a desire to be represented by a labor organization, the district, upon determining as provided in Section 70122 that the labor organization represents the employees in the appropriate unit, shall enter into a written contract with the accredited representative of the employees governing wages, salaries, hours and working conditions. In case of a dispute over wages, salaries, hours or working conditions, which is not resolved by negotiations in good faith between the district and the labor organization, upon the request of either, the district and the labor organization may submit the dispute to the decision of the majority of an arbitration board, and the decision of the majority of the arbitration board shall be final. The arbitration board shall be composed of two representatives of the district, and two representatives of the labor organization, and they shall endeavor to agree upon the selection of the fifth member. If they are unable to agree, the names of five persons experienced in labor arbitration shall be obtained from the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service. The labor organization and the district shall, alternately, strike a name from the list so supplied, and the name remaining after the labor organization and the district have stricken four names, shall be designated as the arbitrator. The labor organization and the district shall determine by lot who shall first strike from the list. The decision of a majority of the arbitration board shall be final and binding upon the parties. The expenses of arbitration shall be borne equally by the parties. Each party shall bear his or her own costs.
In the event the board and the representatives of the employees do not agree to submit the dispute to an arbitration board as herein provided, the California State Mediation and Conciliation Service may be notified by either party that a dispute exists and that there is no agreement to arbitrate. The service shall determine whether or not the dispute may be resolved by the parties and, if not, the issues concerning which the dispute exists. Upon the determination, the service shall certify its findings to the Governor who shall, within 10 days of receipt of certification appoint a fact finding commission consisting of three persons which shall immediately convene and inquire into and investigate the issues involved in the dispute. The commission shall report to the Governor within 30 days of the date of its creation.
After the creation of the commission and for 30 days after the commission has made its report to the Governor, no change, except by mutual agreement, shall be made by the parties to the controversy in the conditions out of which the dispute arose and service to the public shall be provided.
(Amended by Stats. 2012, Ch. 46, Sec. 126. (SB 1038) Effective June 27, 2012.)