(a) As used in this section, “board” means the Public Employment Relations Board established pursuant to Section 3541.

(b) The powers and duties of the board described in Section 3541.3 shall also apply, as appropriate, to this chapter and shall include the authority as set forth in subdivisions (c) and (d). Included among the appropriate powers of the board are the power to order elections, to conduct any election the board orders, and to adopt rules to apply in areas where a regional court interpreter employment relations committee has no rule.

(c) A complaint alleging any violation of this chapter or of any rules and regulations adopted by a regional court interpreter employment relations committee pursuant to Section 71823 shall be processed as an unfair practice charge by the board. The initial determination as to whether the charge of unfair practice is justified and, if so, the appropriate remedy necessary to effectuate the purposes of this chapter, 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. The board shall apply and interpret unfair labor practices consistent with existing judicial interpretations of this chapter and subdivision (b) of Section 71826. The board shall not 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, except that if the rules and regulations adopted by a regional court interpreter employment relations committee require exhaustion of a remedy prior to filing an unfair practice charge or the charging party chooses to exhaust a regional court interpreter employment relations committee’s remedy prior to filing an unfair practice charge, the six-month limitation set forth in this subdivision shall be tolled during such reasonable amount of time it takes the charging party to exhaust the remedy, but nothing herein shall require a charging party to exhaust a remedy when that remedy would be futile.

(d) The board shall enforce and apply rules adopted by a regional court interpreter employment relations committee concerning unit determinations, representation, recognition, and elections.

(e) This section does not apply to employees designated as management employees.

(f) The board shall not find it an unfair practice for an employee organization to violate a rule or regulation adopted by a regional court interpreter employment relations committee if that rule or regulation is itself in violation of this chapter.

(Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 539, Sec. 6. (SB 857) Effective January 1, 2012.)