City Council
[email protected]
April 14, 2026
The Honorable Buffy Wicks
Chair, Assembly Appropriations Committee
1021 O Street, Suite 8220
Sacramento, CA 95814
RE: AB 1564 (Ahrens) Employer-employee relations: confidential communications. (As Amended February 25, 2026)
Dear Assemblymember Wicks,
The City of San Marcos respectfully expresses its opposition to AB 1564 (Ahrens), which would prohibit a public employer from questioning a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative regarding communications made in confidence between an employee and an employee representative in connection with representation relating to any matter within the scope of the recognized employee organization’s representation. The bill would also prohibit a public employer from compelling a public employee, a representative of a recognized employee organization, or an exclusive representative to disclose those confidential communications to a third party.
The requirements of this bill could limit the city’s ability to fully investigate workplace issues if we can’t ask about certain communications. While the city appreciates Assemblymember Ahrens’ desire to protect employee communications with their union representatives, this is not the way to do it.
These restrictions are overly broad, and could greatly limit how and when a city, like San Marcos, can have this type of discussion with staff.
The city of San Marcos supports the ability of represented employees to have candid, frank and protected discussions with a representative of their employee organization. The city of San Marcos believes the bill would add excessive additional restrictions to how cities can discuss this type of communications with represented staff, without additional benefits.
For these reasons, the City of San Marcos must oppose AB 1564 (Ahrens).
Sincerely,
Rebecca D. Jones
Mayor
cc: League of California Cities