ARTICLE 5. Employee Organizations: Representation, Recognition, Certification, and Decertification [3544. - 3544.9.]

Cal. Government Code - GOV 5.

in effect

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544. Section 3544.

(a) An employee organization may become the exclusive representative for the employees of an appropriate unit for purposes of meeting and negotiating by filing a request with a public school employer alleging that a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit wish to be represented by such organization and asking the public school employer to recognize it as the exclusive representative. The request shall describe the grouping of jobs or positions which constitute the unit claimed to be appropriate and shall be based upon majority support on the basis of current dues deduction authorizations or other evidence such as notarized membership lists, or membership cards, or petitions designating the organization as the exclusive representative of the employees. Notice of any such request shall immediately be posted conspicuously on all employee bulletin boards in each facility of the public school employer in which members of the unit claimed to be appropriate are employed. (b) The employee organization shall submit proof of majority support to the board. The information submitted to the board shall remain confidential and not be disclosed by the board. The board shall obtain from the employer the information necessary for it to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this section and shall report to the employee organization and the public school employer as to whether the proof of majority support is adequate.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544.1. Section 3544.1.

The public school employer shall grant a request for recognition filed pursuant to Section 3544, unless any of the following apply: (a) The public school employer doubts the appropriateness of a unit. (b) Another employee organization either files with the public school employer a challenge to the appropriateness of the unit or submits a competing claim of representation within 15 workdays of the posting of notice of the written request. The claim shall be evidenced by current dues deductions authorizations or other evidence such as notarized membership lists, or membership cards, or petitions signed by employees in the unit indicating their desire to be represented by the organization. The evidence shall be submitted to the board, and shall remain confidential and not be disclosed by the board. The board shall obtain from the employer the information necessary for it to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this section and shall report to the employee organizations seeking recognition and to the public school employer as to the adequacy of the evidence. If the claim is evidenced by the support of at least 30 percent of the members of an appropriate unit, a question of representation exists and the board shall conduct a representation election pursuant to Section 3544.7, unless subdivision (c) or (d) of this section applies. (c) There is currently in effect a lawful written agreement negotiated by the public school employer and another employee organization covering any employees included in the unit described in the request for recognition, unless the request for recognition is filed less than 120 days, but more than 90 days, prior to the expiration date of the agreement. (d) The public school employer has, within the previous 12 months, lawfully recognized another employee organization as the exclusive representative of any employees included in the unit described in the request for recognition.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544.3. Section 3544.3.

If, by January 1 of any school year, no employee organization has made a claim of majority support in an appropriate unit pursuant to Section 3544, a majority of employees of an appropriate unit may submit to a public school employer a petition signed by at least a majority of the employees in the appropriate unit requesting a representation election. An employee may sign such a petition though not a member of any employee organization. Upon the filing of such a petition, the public school employer shall immediately post a notice of such request upon all employee bulletin boards at each school or other facility in which members of the unit claimed to be appropriate are employed. Any employee organization shall have the right to appear on the ballot if, within 15 workdays after the posting of such notice, it makes the showing of interest required by subdivision (b) of Section 3544.1. Immediately upon expiration of the 15-workday period following the posting of the notice, the public school employer shall transmit to the board the petition and the names of all employee organizations that have the right to appear on the ballot.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544.5. Section 3544.5.

A petition may be filed with the board, in accordance with its rules and regulations, requesting it to investigate and decide the question of whether employees have selected or wish to select an exclusive representative or to determine the appropriateness of a unit, by: (a) A public school employer alleging that it doubts the appropriateness of the claimed unit; or (b) An employee organization alleging that it has filed a request for recognition as an exclusive representative with a public school employer and that the request has been denied or has not been acted upon within 30 days after the filing of the request; or (c) An employee organization alleging that it has filed a competing claim of representation pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 3544.1; or (d) An employee organization alleging that the employees in an appropriate unit no longer desire a particular employee organization as their exclusive representative, provided that such petition is supported by evidence of support such as notarized membership lists, cards, or petitions from 30 percent of the employees in the negotiating unit indicating support for another organization or lack of support for the incumbent exclusive representative. Such evidence of support shall be submitted to the board, and shall remain confidential and not be disclosed by the board. The board shall obtain from the employer the information necessary for it to carry out its responsibilities pursuant to this section and shall report to the employee organizations seeking recognition and to the public school employer as to the adequacy of the evidence of support.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544.7. Section 3544.7.

(a) Upon receipt of a petition filed pursuant to Section 3544.3 or 3544.5, the board shall conduct inquiries and investigations or hold any hearings it deems necessary in order to decide the questions raised by the petition. The determination of the board may be based upon the evidence adduced in the inquiries, investigations, or hearing. However, if the board finds on the basis of the evidence that a question of representation exists, or a question of representation exists pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 3544.1, it shall order that an election be conducted by secret ballot and it shall certify the results of the election on the basis of which ballot choice received a majority of the valid votes cast. There shall be printed on each ballot the statement: “no representation.” No voter shall record more than one choice on his or her ballot. Any ballot upon which there is recorded more than one choice shall be void and shall not be counted for any purpose. If at any election no choice on the ballot receives a majority of the votes cast, a runoff election shall be conducted. The ballot for the runoff election shall provide for a selection between the two choices receiving the largest and second largest number of valid votes cast in the election. (b) An election may not be held and the petition shall be dismissed if either of the following exist: (1) There is currently in effect a lawful written agreement negotiated by the public school employer and another employee organization covering any employees included in the unit described in the request for recognition, or unless the request for recognition is filed less than 120 days, but more than 90 days, prior to the expiration date of the agreement. (2) The public school employer has, within the previous 12 months, lawfully recognized an employee organization other than the petitioner as the exclusive representative of any employees included in the unit described in the petition.

Cal. Government Code - GOV § 3544.9. Section 3544.9.

The employee organization recognized or certified as the exclusive representative for the purpose of meeting and negotiating shall fairly represent each and every employee in the appropriate unit.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026