Yesterday, the CA Supreme Court heard arguments on whether the state can force an agency-dictated “collective bargaining agreement” on an employer and its employees. This is from CA's “Mandatory Mediation and Conciliation” amendment to the Agricultural Labor Relations Act. The CA Court of Appeal ruled that it violated Equal Protection and delegated power to the CA Agricultural Labor Relations Board unConstitutionally. This, of course, let the union unilaterally force a contract on Gerawan Farming and its employees. Gerawan is the largest farm employer in CA.
The earlier decision called it “the antithesis of equal protection” because it imposes a contract “by administrative edict” based on “a distinct, unequal, individualized set of rules” for each employer.
If it denies equal protection under Cal. state law then it probably denies it under the US constitution. Time to take the case federal.