For most of the history of public sector labor law in California, only proof of support documents with “original signatures”—meaning ink or “wet” signatures—were permitted to initiate the representation and decertification proceedings. This changed with the revisions to Public Employee Relations Board (PERB) Regulation 32700 in 2021, which allowed the use of “electronically signed proofs of support” in representation petitions. Now, in a recent decision called Pasadena Area Community College District (Jan. 11, 2023) PERB Order No. Ad-500, PERB confirmed what appeared clear from the text of this revised regulation—electronically signed proof of support documents are not allowed in decertification cases.

With the passage of Senate Bill 1334, California’s public sector health care workers are now guaranteed meal and rest breaks, just like private sector employees. This is a tremendous victory for these front-line healthcare heroes, who have spent the past three years not only battling the COVID-19 pandemic, but also mental and physical exhaustion tied to severe understaffing.