Los Angeles Required To Arbitrate Grievances Challenging Furloughs
After declaring a fiscal emergency, the City of Los Angeles adopted a mandatory furlough program for its civilian employees. Many employees represented by unions filed grievances against the City, arguing that the furloughs violated memoranda of understanding (California’s equivalent of a collective bargaining agreement) governing the terms and conditions of their employment. When their grievances were denied, these employees requested arbitration, and when the City refused to arbitrate, their…