Collective Bargaining 101

The City of San Luis Obispo has approximately 485 full-time staff (regular employees). All regular employees are members in some form of a bargaining group, from the police and fire public safety groups to non-safety positions such as engineers, street maintenance workers, and administrative assistants. Negotiations between the City and these groups determine conditions of employment, such as wages, working hours, overtime, holidays, sick leave, vacation time, retirement benefits, healthcare, and grievance methods. These negotiations result in a City Council approved Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a Resolution that lasts for a set time period. Some of these groups are represented by labor unions while others are unrepresented.

 

Transparency Measures

We value inclusive and transparent labor relations. In addition to adhering to the Ralph M. Brown Act, we engage in the following measures to ensure equity and transparency in negotiations:  

In San Luis Obispo, there are six different bargaining groups, four of them represented by associations or unions. Each group has their own MOU or Resolution. Typically, negotiations between the City and each bargaining group begin about four months prior to the end of the current MOU or Resolution.  Some examples of factors that are considered through the negotiations process are:  the City’s financial health, comparability with compensation in similar jurisdictions, the “relevant labor market” which refers to the City’s ability to recruit and retain well-qualified staff, long-term impacts on pension obligations, the cost of living including health care costs, compliance with local, state, and federal laws, and work rules or other factors that would lead to a better working environment for the City and its employees. 

The labor negotiations consist of a series of meetings, during which information is exchanged to support proposals made by the City and the bargaining unit.  For represented bargaining groups, the parties may reach “tentative agreement” during the negotiations on certain proposals that later will become part of a full package of MOU changes.  In all cases, the City Council plays a key role in setting the economic parameters for the City negotiators and reviewing and directing the progress of the negotiations.  Draft MOUs and labor agreements are made available to the public for review prior to consideration by the City Council for formal approval in a public City Council meeting.  In addition, the basic terms of the agreement are found in every MOU, which are all posted online, and the public can provide feedback to the City Council at any time, in any manner, including by providing public comment at any City Council meeting.