AB 1484 – Temporary Employees

This bill would require temporary employees (who have been hired to perform the same or similar type of work that is performed by permanent employees represented by a recognized employee organization) to be automatically included in the same bargaining unit as the permanent employees.  The bill would further require the public employer to promptly participate in collective bargaining to establish certain employment conditions for the newly added temporary employees if the parties’ current memorandum of understanding does not address them, as specified.  The bill would also require a public employer to, upon hire, provide each temporary employee with their job description, wage rates, and eligibility for benefits, anticipated length of employment, and procedures to apply for open, permanent positions.

Key takeaways:

• A temporary employee is defined as: “temporary employee, casual employee, seasonal employee, periodic employee, extra-help employee, relief employee, limited-term employee, per diem employee, and any other employee who has not been hired for a permanent position.”
• Upon request, temporary employees would be automatically included in the same bargaining unit as permanent employees.
• Upon request, parties would need to negotiate terms and conditions of employment) covering both permanent and temporary employees.
• Upon a temporary employee’s hire, the public employer would be required to provide each temporary employee with a job description, wage rates, eligibility for benefits, anticipated length of employment, and procedures to apply for open, permanent positions. Employers would need to produce this information to the exclusive representative within five (5) business days of hire.
• Also within five (5) business days of hire, employers would need to provide the exclusive representative with the temporary employee’s anticipated end date and certain employee information pursuant to Government Code Section 3558.
• Temporary employees would become entitled to certain grievance procedure rights after 30 calendar days of employment to challenge disciplinary actions without cause.

(Amends Section 3507.7 to the Government Code.)