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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

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

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

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

Logistics

Check back for the full speaker lineup. The event will take place 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