Employment: labor organization.

Assembly Member McKinnor's labor rights legislation expands the Public Employment Relations Board's (PERB) authority to address cases where the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has been unable to resolve worker complaints within statutory timeframes. The bill establishes new pathways for workers to petition PERB when facing extended NLRB delays in union certification, unfair labor practice charges, or collective bargaining disputes.

Under the new provisions, PERB gains the power to certify bargaining representatives, adjudicate unfair labor practice cases, and order binding mediation when specific conditions are met. Workers become eligible to petition PERB after six months without NLRB resolution of representation petitions, bargaining orders, or unfair labor practice charges. The legislation creates the Public Employment Relations Board Enforcement Fund to collect civil penalties and finance PERB's expanded duties through legislative appropriation.

The measure maintains existing worker protections while providing alternative state-level remedies when federal processes prove ineffective. PERB's decisions under these new authorities remain subject to state court review, and the bill includes provisions ensuring that workers' rights under other federal and state statutes are preserved. The legislation applies to private sector workers currently under NLRB jurisdiction, as well as those who may lose NLRB coverage due to future changes in federal law.