Know Your Rights

California law protects your right to organize. Here’s what you need to know.

As public employees in California, you have strong legal protections when organizing a union. The Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA) guarantees your right to organize, join a union, and engage in collective bargaining without fear of retaliation.

You have the right to:

• Talk with coworkers about wages, working conditions, and organizing
• Sign a union card without fear of retaliation
• Attend union meetings and organizing activities
• Wear union buttons, stickers, or t-shirts at work
• Distribute union literature in non-work areas during breaks
• Ask questions about the union

Management cannot:

• Threaten job loss or reduced hours for union activity
• Interrogate you about union support
• Promise benefits to discourage organizing
• Spy on union meetings or activities
• Retaliate against union supporters
• Discipline workers for organizing

Confidentiality

Your union card is confidential. Management has no legal right to know who signed cards. All conversations with organizers are protected: we meet privately to ensure your information stays confidential.

AB 1484: rights for temporary employees

California’s AB 1484 became law in October 2023, expanding rights for temporary public employees and requiring transparency from your employer.

What your employer must provide you

Under AB 1484, when you’re hired as a temporary employee, your employer is legally required to give you:

• A clear job description of your duties and responsibilities
• Your wage rate and benefits eligibility
• The expected length of your temporary position
• Clear procedures for a path to permanent positions

This information must be provided when you’re hired. If you haven’t received it, your employer may be violating AB 1484.

Bargaining unit inclusion

AB 1484 strengthens temporary employees’ right to be included in union bargaining units, and to have a bargaining unit of their own. Once organized, the employer must negotiate wages, hours, and working conditions for temporary employees, and must share employment information with the union promptly after hire.

This is directly relevant to our current fight: we filed with PERB (Case No. LA-RR-1380-M) under exactly this legal framework, and we believe AB 1484 supports our right to our own union, not just inclusion in someone else’s. Read more on our Issues page.

What if management violates your rights?

Examples of illegal retaliation:

• Cutting your hours after you sign a union card
• Giving you worse shifts because you talked about organizing
• Disciplining you for union activity while ignoring similar behavior by non-union workers
• Suddenly enforcing rules strictly against union supporters
• Threatening to eliminate positions
• Interrogating you about who is organizing or who attended meetings

If any of this happens:

1. Document everything: dates, times, witnesses, and what was said
2. Contact us immediately: email the organizing committee
3. File an unfair labor practice charge: we’ll help you file with PERB

You are protected by law

The MMBA is California’s collective bargaining law for local government employees. It explicitly protects your right to form, join, and participate in employee organizations; to engage in collective bargaining through representatives; and to be free from employer interference, restraint, or coercion. If your employer violates the MMBA, PERB can order them to restore lost wages, reinstate fired workers, post notices admitting wrongdoing, and stop the illegal behavior.

Common questions

Can I be fired for organizing? No. It’s illegal under California law. If you’re fired for organizing, we can file an unfair labor practice charge and PERB can order your employer to reinstate you with back pay.

Can management ask me about the union? They can have casual conversations, but interrogating you about who supports the union, who signed cards, or who attended meetings is illegal. You have the right to decline to answer.

Can I talk about the union at work? Yes, during breaks, before/after shifts, and in non-work areas like locker rooms. Your employer can restrict organizing during work time in work areas, but must apply that rule equally to all topics, not just union talk.

Will management find out I signed a card? No. Authorization cards are confidential. Your employer will never see your card or know who signed unless you choose to tell them.

Additional resources

• AFSCME: Know Your Rights
• AFSCME District Council 36
• Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
• Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (full text)
• AB 1484 (full text)

Questions? Contact the organizing committee: [email protected]. All inquiries are confidential and protected by law.