AB 105

Under the Municipal Employment Relations Act (MERA), during contract

negotiations (contract hiatus) an employer must maintain the status quo with

respect to wages, hours, and conditions of employment (mandatory subjects of

bargaining). Any unilateral change in a mandatory subject of bargaining during a

contract hiatus breaches the employer's duty to bargain collectively. The

maintenance of the status quo during a contract hiatus does not extend to the

obligation to arbitrate grievances or to honor fair-share agreements.

This bill makes it a prohibited practice under MERA for an employer or an

employee to end any grievance arbitration agreement during a contract hiatus and

for an employer to end any fair-share agreement during a contract hiatus.