Attacks the Collective Bargaining Process

The right to join a union and collectively bargain are fundamental democratic rights and our members deserve the same right to discuss workplace issues with their employer that most private sector employees have. Bargaining brings consistency to personnel matters and provides fairness through mutually agreed upon contractual rights and obligations. AFSCME is proud of its history of working in partnership with public employers in California to improve the quality of life for our members. 

AFSCME has been on the frontlines fighting assaults on collective bargaining that threaten to seriously erode workers’ ability to negotiate the strong contracts that enable them to win the level of compensation they deserve and enforceable rights on the job. One recent example of this is SB 371 introduced by Senator Moorlach, which suggests that California’s public agencies are not capable of independently deciding who should represent them at the bargaining table and would require public agencies to outsource their collective bargaining to law firms or management groups. This legislation is unnecessary and would likely be harmful to employer-employee relations, drive up the costs of bargaining, hurt the delivery of services and undermine local control. The bill failed in the Senate Public Employment and Retirement Committee on a 2-3 vote but was granted reconsideration and may be considered again in January 2018. AFSCME will continue to monitor SB 371 in case it is brought up again in the future.