Regents of University of California v. Public Employment Relations Board

For the second time we have granted a writ of review to consider the propriety of an order issued by the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) compelling the employer, the University of California (University,) to grant an employee organization access to the University’s internal mail service.

In Regents of University of California v. Public Employment Relations Board (1983) 139 Cal.App.3d 1037 [ 189 Cal.Rptr. 298 ], we set forth the salient facts in this dispute at pages 1039 and 1040 and reiterate them here for convenience: “In 1979, William H. Wilson and Local 371 of the Amer ican Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees filed an unfair labor practice charge against the University before the PERB asserting that the University’s refusal to permit the union to distribute organizational literature to the University’s custodial employees through the intercampus mail system violated the rights guaranteed to employee organizations and employees under the provisions of the Higher Education Employer-Employee Relations Act (HEERA), reproduced in relevant part in the margin.

“The charge arose against the following background: The University maintains two…