Agricultural Labor Relations Board assigns rules review, reports recent case activity

The Agricultural Labor Relations Board convened at 10:01 a.m. in Sacramento, approved the minutes from its April 22 meeting and the chair said the board will task its regulations committee to consider revisions to rules governing discipline for "unprofessional conduct" in proceedings.

The chair said, "we issued the um a board decision in Trianuki Farms earlier this week," and asked the regulations committee, assigning Board member Broad and Board member Lightstone, to review and bring possible recommendations to ensure administrative law judges and the board have tools to apply sanctions or other measures to maintain the integrity of proceedings.

Executive Officer Santiago gave the board a summary of recent case activity. He reported no election activity and said a complaint was issued April 27 in Tissue Grown Corporation (transcript citation given as case number 2023-CE011S) involving fruit and nut rootstocks; the county was not clearly specified in the oral report. Santiago also said a complaint involving Mucci Farms Inc. was withdrawn by the general counsel (transcript citation included 2025-C35), and that it related back to an earlier bilateral settlement; he said the commodity involved was tomatoes in Kern County.

Santiago summarized administrative rulings and pending matters reported since the prior meeting. He cited ALRB administrative order 2026-04 in Olive Hill Green Houses (issued April 24), which remanded a mediator's report in case 2024-M-002 and dismissed petitions for review without prejudice to refile. He also noted the board's compliance decision cited in the transcript as 52 ARB No. 1 (Trifanuki Farms) issued April 27 and remanding to the region for a revised bargaining specification that calculates interest as the board directed. Among pending matters, Santiago said the general counsel renewed a request for enforcement of a subpoena in Dixon B Company LLC (case 2024-CE-93) and that in Rastigar Farms Management Inc. (case 2024-CE-17) an ALJ default decision had exceptions and replies filed, with briefing complete.

There were no questions from board members, and Laura reported she had no litigation updates. The chair also said there was no legislative report. The public-comment period produced no speakers; the board recessed into closed session and returned at 11:26 a.m. The chair announced the next board meeting will be Wednesday, May 13 in Sacramento and online.

The meeting record lists the administrative and case citations Santiago reported; the board did not take additional formal actions at this session beyond approving the minutes and setting the next meeting date.