As EdCal reported earlier this month, Gov. Brown signed legislation that requires public agency employers to give union representatives access to new employees during orientation sessions. This has already gone into effect, as part of as part of Assembly Bill 119, a budget trailer bill. The bill is a product of the efforts by unions representing public employees to mitigate the impact of an anticipated United States Supreme Court decision that could make union dues in public agencies voluntary. Under current law, public agency employees who opt out of participating in their union may be required to pay fees to cover union services required to pay fees to cover union services, including collective bargaining. AB 119 requires public agency employers to grant union representatives access to new employee orientations, which are defined as onboarding processes conducted in person, online or by other means in which new employees are advised of their employment status, rights, benefits, duties and responsibilities. The structure, time and manner of access is subject to negotiations. This new law also requires that negotiations must be conducted during the period between the effective date of the bill and the expiration of a union’s existing contract. ACSA’s legal partners at the law firm of Lozano Smith provided the following list of ACSA’s Every Student Succeeding Awards program includes our 19-part series leading up to the ESS luncheon at the 2017 Leadership Summit. Watch the videos on these remarkable recipients on Facebook, YouTube and www.acsa.org.