A Public Employee Relations Board Administrative Law Judge issued a scathing ruling against Ventura County last week, in favor of the doctors there who have been fighting to have UAPD represent their unit. Ventura County had recognized UAPD as the exclusive bargaining agent for county doctors in 2010, but then refused to bargain with the Union, claiming that the doctors were not county employees after all. In the August 24, 2011 PERB decision, ALJ Thomas J. Allen called Ventura County’s initial recognition of the Union a “sham” and ordered the County to genuinely recognize UAPD now, to begin bargaining in good faith, and to reimburse the Union for what was spent on lawyers to fight this case.
In a Ventura County Star article, County attorneys said they plan to appeal the judge’s decision. UAPD is pushing County leaders to reconsider that decision, because continuing to pursue this obviously illegal course of action hurts doctors and patients and wastes tax payer money.