THAT'S ACTUALLY WAS PRETTY CLEVER

by Bob Walsh

The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 3, is the bargaining agent for employees of the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District.  They do a lot of rice growing up there and mosquito control is an issue.  There are also a buttload of badly maintained swimming pools and other habitats for the nasty little critters.

The union has been using FOIA requests to get at the emails of rank-and-file employees who may be attempting to decertify the union.  An Administrative Law Judge, Alicia Clements, has just ruled that they union must cease and desist in its efforts to access employee emails.  The union has also been ordered to post a copy of the ruling on all union work-place bulletin boards and email a copy to all their membership.

The Meyers Millias Brown Act gives public employees the right to refuse to join or participate in employee organizations and the right to represent themselves individually in their employment relations with public agencies.