COUNCIL POLICY
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APPROVED BY COUNCIL
ACTION ON 03/18/2025
EFFECTIVE DATE:
03/18/2025
SUBJECT:
LABOR NEGOTIATIONS 2025: GUIDELINES
BACKGROUND
Originally adopted by the City Council in 2011, the Labor Negotiations Guidelines were established to ensure a consistent and legally compliant approach to labor negotiations in accordance with best practices. On March 18, 2025, the current City Council formally reaffirmed this policy, underscoring its commitment to a structured and principled framework for managing labor relations. As all Memoranda of Understanding for the City’s bargaining units are set to expire on June 30, 2025, this policy will continue to provide clear direction for the City’s negotiation process.
Collective bargaining is governed by the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act and the City’s Employer-Employee Relations Rules and Regulations (Resolution No. 9697). Resolution No. 9697 delegates the authority to negotiate labor contracts on behalf of the City to the City Manager or the City Manager’s designee. It is in the City’s and various bargaining units’ best interest to have contract negotiations take place at the bargaining table between each parties’ designated representatives; both the City and the bargaining units have an obligation under applicable laws to negotiate in good faith.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to set guidelines for the City Council and Council staff, in the interest of promoting fairness and integrity in the process, to avoid actions that would circumvent the City’s designated bargaining teams to ensure that labor negotiations are conducted in good faith.
STATEMENT OF POLICY
It is the policy of the City Council that all of its members and staff shall abide by the following guiding principles during the current labor negotiations:
1. All labor negotiations will be conducted by designated representatives at the bargaining table. All City representatives operate upon the direction of the City
Council.
2. No individual Council member will individually negotiate with any bargaining group member.
3. City representatives commit to keeping the Council fully informed and advising them of all substantive proposals.
4. Each Council member shall inform the City Manager of and publicly disclose in open session prior to the start of each closed session relating to labor negotiations any communications he or she may have had with any City bargaining group member(s) that has any reference to the negotiations.
5. Consistent with Government Code section 54963, confidentiality of closed session discussions will be maintained.
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