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Conference

PERB Past, Present & Future

Celebrating 50 Years of Labor Relations in California

Saturday, September 19, 2026 | 1–5:45 pm, reception to follow from 6–7:30pm

Berkeley Law School, Lecture Hall 105
2778 Bancroft Way

This half-day conference examines the history and impact of public sector collective bargaining rights in California and the critical role the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) plays in enforcing them. The conference will also explore PERB’s expanded reach in protecting a broader range of workers. Finally, as federal agencies responsible for administering labor relations falter, the conference will explore PERB’s evolution, innovation, and its role as a model for other states for protecting workers’ rights in an era of federal crisis.

Schedule

I. From Past to Present: Public Sector Unionization in California and Beyond

This panel will explore:

  • The exclusion of public sector workers from the National Labor Relations Act and its lasting implications
  • Why public sector workers unionized when they did and the barriers they faced
  • The advantages unionization delivers for public sector workers, particularly in retirement security and compensation
  • The development of state administrative infrastructure to enforce collective bargaining laws
  • The challenges faced by California’s PERB in the early decades after it was formed and lessons learned

Panelists

  • Anica Walls, president, SEIU Local 1000
  • Liz Perlman, executive director, AFSCME 3299
  • Priscilla Winslow, retired PERB board member (2013-2018). Since September of 2025, she serves as a half-time mediator with the State Mediation and Conciliation Service of PERB. 
  • Moderator: Brenda Muñoz, executive director, UC Berkeley Labor Center

II. A Laboratory of Democracy: How California Public Sector Labor Law Innovates on Substance and Process

This panel will explore:

  • Unique aspects of public employee labor law in California — substantive
  • Unique aspects of public employee labor law in California — procedure
  • PERB’s transformation, increased efficiency, and impact over the years

Panelists

  • Arthur Krantz, PERB member
  • Kerianne Steele, partner at Weinberg, Roger & Rosenfeld, representing unions
  • Tim Yeung, managing partner at Sloan Sakai Yeung & Wong LLP, representing employers 
  • Moderator: Diana Reddy, assistant professor, UC Berkeley School of Law, and faculty co-director of the Center for Law and Work (CLAW)

III. Necessity and Invention: The Increasing Importance of PERB and Other State Labor Agencies in a Time of Federal Crisis

This panel will explore:

  • The history and politics behind PERB’s broader role
  • Collective bargaining rights for independent contractors and gig workers
  • Whether state labor agencies should — and can — step in when the NLRB fails
  • PERB as a model for other states
  • The road ahead for PERB

Panelists

  • Catherine Fisk, professor, UC Berkeley School of Law
  • Eric Banks, PERB member
  • Jennifer Abruzzo, former general counsel at the National Labor Relations Board (2021 to 2025)
  • Stacey Leyton, partner at Altshuler Berzon LLP
  • Moderator: Caitlin Vega, general counsel, California Federation of Labor Unions

Logistics

The event will take place in person at Berkeley Law in Lecture Hall 105, 2778 Bancroft Way. The event will not be livestreamed.

Our post-conference reception is currently at capacity. The reception will be held in Steinhart Courtyard at Berkeley Law.

This event is organized and sponsored by the UC Berkeley Labor Center, IRLE, and Center for Law and Work.

UC berkeley labor center, IRLE, and Berkeley Center for law and work logos

Getting to the Conference

Please note: There is a Cal Football home game at the same time as the conference. Street parking will be extremely limited, and parking garages fill up quickly and charge very high flat fees on game days. Public transportation is strongly encouraged.

If you’re taking public transportation, Berkeley Law is a 25-minute walk from the Downtown Berkeley BART station, and several buses run directly from both the Downtown Berkeley and Rockridge BART stations to the Berkeley School of Law. Learn more about AC Transit bus service to UC Berkeley and the free Southside game day shuttle that picks passengers up three blocks from Downtown Berkeley BART and stops at the Berkeley School of Law.

If you’re driving, you are strongly encouraged to arrive early to secure a parking spot. The new Bancroft Parking Structure ($70-$80) is located next to the Berkeley School of Law. The city-run Telegraph Channing parking garage ($60) is located one block south of campus.

Accessibility Accommodations

If you require accommodation for a disability for effective communication (ASL interpreting/CART captioning, alternative media formats, etc.) or information about campus mobility access features in order to fully participate in this event, please contact Anhara Alexander at aalexander@berkeley.edu with as much advance notice as possible and at least 7-10 days in advance of the event.

Contact

Questions? Email Anhara Alexander at aalexander@berkeley.edu.