California School Employees Ass'n v. Willits Unified School District

Defendant school district and several public officers appeal from an injunction and judgment granting writ of mandate which prohibit the school district from contracting for janitorial services, which order reinstatement of two formerly employed school janitors, and which award back pay to them.

Fads and Law on Plaintiff’s Standing to Sice

Sections 3500-3509 of the Government Code recognize the right of public employees to join and to be represented by employee organizations. An employee organization must have as one of its primary purposes the representation of employees in their relations with the public agency. (Gov. Code, § 3501.) The suggestion by the school district that the California School Employees Association (hereafter referred to as the Association) is not an organization which meets the terms of section 3501 is without merit. Its articles of incorporation and bylaws do not, to be sure, expressly mention representation of the employees. They do state that the Association’s objects are to “raise the standards” and to “promote generally the welfare” of members. These were drawn before sections 3500-3509 were enacted. That the articles were not subsequently amended to…