When the municipal and superior court in a county are unified:

(a) Article 3 (commencing with Section 71630) of Chapter 7 of Title 8 shall be fully applicable to the county and the unified superior court.

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(b) An employee organization that has been previously recognized as a representative of a group of court employees or the exclusive representative of an established appropriate bargaining unit of court employees, either by the county or municipal court or superior court shall continue to be recognized as a representative or the exclusive representative of the same employees of the county or unified superior court.

(c) An existing memorandum of understanding or agreement between the county, a municipal court, or a superior court shall remain in effect and be fully binding on the county, the unified superior court, and the employee organization involved for the term of the agreement. However, in the event of an election held under paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), (1) a memorandum of understanding or agreement with an employee organization that is no longer recognized as the exclusive representative shall continue in effect and be administered by the employee organization that receives a majority of votes in the election and is certified or recognized pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (e), provided that the memorandum of understanding or agreement shall be subject to reopening on request of either the unified superior court or the newly certified or recognized employee organization, provided that no changes in that memorandum of understanding or agreement may be made during its term without mutual agreement of the unified superior court and the newly certified or recognized employee organization, and (2) a memorandum of understanding or agreement with an employee organization that receives a majority of votes in the election shall remain in full force and effect until its expiration or until replaced by a subsequent memorandum of understanding or agreement.

(d) Nothing in this article shall disturb or affect any court- or county-established appropriate bargaining unit or memorandum of understanding or agreement between an employee organization and a county or court, unless subdivision (e) applies.

(e) (1) Where there is more than one employee organization that has been previously recognized as the exclusive representative of employees of the municipal court and the superior court, the county and the unified superior court shall continue to recognize each exclusive representative of each bargaining unit and shall continue to be bound by any existing memorandum of understanding or agreement covering those employees for a period not to exceed 225 days from date of unification, pending the exhaustion of the election procedure set forth in paragraph (2). Any conflicts in the existing agreements as to wages and other terms and conditions of employment shall be subject to negotiation between the county or unified superior court and each of the exclusive representatives.

(2) If after unification it is determined that two or more exclusive representatives seek to represent employees in a single appropriate bargaining unit, the unified superior court shall conduct a representation election in accordance with Article 3 (commencing with Section 71630) of Chapter 7 of Title 8. With respect to this process (A) the unified court shall meet and confer in good faith with all incumbent exclusive representatives regarding the establishment of appropriate bargaining units, (B) the county or unified superior court shall maintain a neutral position as to the competing employee organizations in the election, (C) the employee organization shall be certified or recognized as the exclusive bargaining representative upon receiving a majority of the votes cast in the representation election, (D) the election of an exclusive representative shall be conducted no later than 180 days from the effective date of unification or the effective date of this subparagraph, whichever comes later, and (E) the certification or recognition of an exclusive representative shall be complete no later than 45 days from the date of the election.

(f) This section applies to all unified superior courts, and the counties and employee organizations involved, beginning on the date of unification.

(Amended by Stats. 2000, Ch. 1010, Sec. 13. Effective January 1, 2001.)