(a) The powers and duties of the board described in Section 3541.3 of the Government Code, shall also apply, as appropriate, to this article. In implementing this article, the board shall rely on its existing regulations for the adjudication of unfair practice charges. The board shall also have the authority to promulgate emergency regulations as necessary to effectuate its powers and duties under this article.

(b) The initial determination as to whether the charges of unfair practices are justified and, if so, what remedy is necessary to effectuate the purposes of this article, shall be a matter within the exclusive jurisdiction of the board, except that in an action to recover damages due to an unlawful strike, the board shall have no authority to award strike-preparation expenses as damages, and shall have no authority to award damages for costs, expenses, or revenue losses incurred during, or as a consequence of, an unlawful strike. Procedures for investigating, hearing, and deciding these cases shall be devised and promulgated by the board and shall include all the following:

(1) Any provider, provider organization, certified provider organization, the Department of Human Resources or the Governor’s designee, or the State Department of Social Services, the State Department of Education, or any state agency, department, political subdivision, contractor, or subcontractor, charged with the administration of any state-funded early care and education program, as defined in subdivision (f) of Section 8431, shall have the right to file an unfair practice charge, except that the board shall not do either of the following:

(A) Issue a complaint in respect of any charge based upon an alleged unfair practice occurring more than six months prior to the filing of the charge. This period may be tolled for the completion of the notice and cure requirements in Section 8439.

(B) Issue a complaint against conduct also prohibited by the provisions of the agreement between the parties until the grievance machinery of the agreement, if it exists and covers the matter at issue, has been exhausted, either by settlement or binding arbitration. However, when the charging party demonstrates that resort to contract grievance procedures would be futile, exhaustion shall not be necessary. The board shall have discretionary jurisdiction to review the settlement or arbitration award reached pursuant to the grievance machinery solely for the purpose of determining whether it is repugnant to the purposes of this article. If the board finds that the settlement or arbitration award is repugnant to the purposes of this article, it shall issue a complaint on the basis of a timely filed charge, and hear and decide the case on the merits. Otherwise, the board shall dismiss the charge. The board shall, in determining whether the charge was timely filed, consider the six-month limitation set forth in this subdivision to have been tolled during the time it took the charging party to exhaust the grievance machinery.

(2) The board shall not have the authority to enforce agreements between the parties, and shall not issue a complaint on any charge based on alleged violation of any agreement that would not also constitute an unfair practice under this article.

(3) The board shall have the power to issue a decision and order directing an offending party to cease and desist from the unfair practice and to take such affirmative action as will effectuate the policies of this article.

(c) Any charging party, respondent, or intervenor aggrieved by a final decision or order of the board in an unfair practice case, except a decision of the board not to issue a complaint in such case, may petition for a writ of extraordinary relief from such decision or order.

(d) Such petition shall be filed in the district court of appeal in the appellate district where the unit determination or unfair practice dispute occurred. The petition shall be filed within 30 days after issuance of the board’s final order, order denying reconsideration, or order joining in the request for judicial review, as applicable. Upon the filing of such petition, the court shall cause notice to be served upon the board and thereupon shall have jurisdiction of the proceeding. The board shall file in the court the record of the proceeding, certified by the board, within 10 days after the clerk’s notice unless such time is extended by the court for good cause shown. The court shall have jurisdiction to grant to the board such temporary relief or restraining order it deems just and proper and in like manner to make and enter a decree enforcing, modifying, or setting aside the order of the board. The findings of the board with respect to questions of fact, including ultimate facts, if supported by substantial evidence on the record considered as a whole, are conclusive. The provisions of Title 1 (commencing with Section 1067) of Part 3 of the Code of Civil Procedure relating to writs shall, except where specifically superceded herein, apply to proceedings commenced pursuant to this section.

(e) If the time to petition for extraordinary relief from a board decision has expired, the board may seek enforcement of any final decision or order in a district court of appeal or a superior court in the district where the unit determination or unfair practice case occurred. If, after hearing, the court determines that the order was issued pursuant to procedures established by the board and that the person or entity refused to comply with the order, the court shall enforce such order by writ of mandamus. The court shall not review the merits of the order.

(Added by Stats. 2019, Ch. 385, Sec. 24. (AB 378) Effective January 1, 2020.)