Gas corporations: applications and proceedings: employee organization participation.

Existing law requires each gas corporation to develop a plan for the safe and reliable operation of its Public Utilities Commission-regulated gas pipeline facility. Existing law requires the commission and gas corporation to provide opportunities for meaningful, substantial, and ongoing participation by the gas corporation workforce in the development and implementation of the plan, with the objective of developing an industrywide culture of safety that will minimize accidents, explosions, fires, and dangerous conditions for the protection of the public and the gas corporation workforce. This bill would require a gas corporation, whenever it files a formal application with the commission, to serve the application on all employee organizations representing the gas corporation's employees' labor interests. The bill would require a gas corporation, whenever the commission, on its own motion, opens a formal proceeding to which the gas corporation is a party, to notify all employee organizations representing the gas corporation's employees' labor interests within 3 days of the gas corporation's receipt of service for the proceeding. The bill would authorize the commission to grant party status to the employee organizations after those organizations have filed a motion for party status and would require the commission to allow those organizations to file a notice of intent to claim intervenor compensation after they have been granted party status. Under existing law, a violation of the Public Utilities Act is a crime. Because the above requirements would be part of the Public Utilities Act, a violation of which would be a crime, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason.