The Public Employment Relations Board (“PERB”), the public agency that administers California law covering labor relations at the University of California and California State University, has ordered the University of California to post notice to all employees that it has violated state law and it will “CEASE AND DESIST FROM: Interfering with employee rights by prohibiting union-related discussions during work time while permitting other non-work related discussions.”
Click here to view the notice.
This began when the supervisor of workplace leader Dianna Sahhar’s at the UC Irvine Library ordered her not to engage in discussions with her co-workers about Union matters during work time. Dianna quickly noticed that her supervisor and others in the workplace had many non-work discussions with workers during work time.
The Union filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with PERB in response to UC’s interference with an employee’s right to engage in protected Union activity. PERB determined that the supervisor’s order not to discuss Union matters violated California law because it was discriminatory in how it treated Union talk.
PERB explained the University “may not single out union activities for special restriction, or enforce general restrictions more strictly with respect to union activities.”
The University must post notice to employees of PERB’s decision finding that it violated California law and will not do so in the future. The University was also ordered to rescind its order given to Dianna.
Thank you to Dianna Sahhar and all of the people who helped make this win possible. We will continue to fight to protect the workplace rights of our members.