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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC RESO 10,596RESOLUTION NO. 10,596 RESOLUTION APPROVING EMPLOYER -EMPLOYEE RELATIONS POLICY BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of National City that the Employer -Employee Relations Policy a copy of which is attached hereto and Marked Exhibit "A" and made a part hereof as though set forth in full hereinafter, is hereby adopted, approved and ratified by the City as the policy for employee -employer relations in said City. PASSED AND ADOPTED this 14th day of March, 1972. ATTEST: E:IPLOYE E';?LOYEE RELATIONS S POLICY ADOPTED BY THE CITY COUNCIL UNDER RESOLUTION NO. 10,596 ON '_1A'_2CiI 14, 1972 .CITY OF NATIONAL CITY CALIFORNIA 'CONTENTS SECTION 1. SECTION 2. SECTION 3. SECTION 4. SECTION 5. SECTION 6. SECTION 7. SECTION 8.- SECTION 9. SECTION 10. SECTION 11. SECTION 12. SECTION 13. SECTION 14. SECTION 15. SECTION 16. SECTION 17. CITY OF NATIONAL CITY EMPLOYER -EMPLOYEE RELATIONS POLICY TITLE OF POLICY STATEMENT OF PURPOSE DEFINITIONS PROOF OF REPRESENTATION OR SUPPORT EMPLOYEE RIGHTS CITY RIGHTS CONFIDENTIAL, MANAGEMENT, AND SUPERVISORY EMPLOYEES: REPRESENTATION LIMITATIONS UNFAIR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PRACTICES MEET AND CONFER IN GOOD FAITH --SCOPE CONSULTATION IN GOOD FAITH --SCOPE ADVANCE NOTICE OF REPRESENTATION UNITS AND OF RECOGNIZED EMPLOYEE ESTABLISHMENT CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS 'PROCEDURE FOR CERTIFICATION ORGANIZATIONS DETERMINATION OF UNITS AND OF RECOGNIZED EMPLOYEE RECOGNITION OF EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS AS MAJORITY REPRESENTATIVE -FORMAL RECOGNITION DURATION OF CERTIFICATION: TIME FOR FILING PETITIONS FOR CERTIFICATION OR DECERTIFICATION DECERTIFICATION OF RECOGNIZED EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION ELECTION PROCEDURE PAGE 1 1 1 4 5 5 5 7 7 9 10 11 11 11 CITY OF NATIONAL CITY EMPLOYER -EMPLOYEE RELATIONS POLICY CONTENTS PAGE SECTION 18. DESIGNATION OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE 12 RELATIONS OFFICER SECTION 19. RESOLUTION OF IMPASSES 12 SECTION 20. GRIEVANCES 13 SECTION 21. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING 13 SECTION 22. RULES AND REGULATIONS 14 SECTION 23. CONSTRUCTION 14 SECTION 24. SEPARABILITY 14 CITY OF NATIONAL CITY EMPLOYER -EMPLOYEE RELATIONS POLICY WHEREAS Chapter 10, Division 4, Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California was amended effective January 1, 1969 for the purpose of promoting improved employer -employee relations between public employers and their employees by establishing uniform and orderly methods of communication between employees and the public agencies by which they are employed; and WHEREAS Government Code Section 3507 empowers a City to adopt reason- able rules and regulations after consultation in good faith with representatives of its employee organizations for the administration of employer -employee relations; and WHEREAS the City of National City desires to adopt such reasonable rules and regulations as authorized by law: NOW THEREFORE THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY DOES HEREBY RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. TITLE OF POLICY This Policy shall be known as the Employer -Employee Relations Policy of the City of National City. SECTION 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of this Policy to implement Chapter 10, Division 4, Tile 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (Sections 3500, et, seq.) captioned "Local Public Employee Organizations," by providing orderly procedures for the administration of employer - employee relations between the City and its employee organization and for resolving disputes regarding wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. SECTION 3. DEFINITIONS As' used in this Policy, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated: (A) APPROPRIATE UNIT --means a unit established pursuant to Section 12, of this Policy. (B) CITY --means the City of National City, a municipal corporation, and where appropriate herein, "City" refers to the City Council, the governing body of said City, or any duly authorized management employee as herein defined. -1- (C) CONSULT OR CONSULTATION IN GOOD FAITH --means to commu- nicate orally or in writing for the purpose of presentingand obtaining views or advising of intended actions. (D) DAY --means calendar day (E) EMPLOYEE --means any person regularly employed by the City except those persons elected by popular vote. (F) EMPLOYEE,CONFIDENTIAL-means an employee who is privy to decisions of City management affecting employer -employee relations. (G) EMPLOYEE,MANAGEMENT--means: (1) Any employee having significant responsibilities for formulating and administering City policies and programs, including but not limited to the chief executive officer and department heads; and (2) Any employee having authority to exercise independent judgment to hire, transfer, suspend, lay-off, recall, promote, dis- charge, assign, reward or discipline other employees, or having the responsibility to direct them or to adjust their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action if in connection with the fore- going, the exercise of such authority is not of a merely routine or clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment. (H) EMPLOYEE,PROFESSIONAL--means employees engaged in work re- quiring specialized knowledge and skills attained through completion of a recognized course of instruction, including, but not limited to, attorneys, physicians, registered nurses, engineers, architects, teachers, and various types of physical, chemical, and biological scientists. (I) EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION --means any organization which includes employees of the City and which has as one of its primary purposes representing such employees in their employment relations with the City. (J) EMPLOYEE,SUPERVISORY--means any employee having authority to exercise independent judgment in carrying out City Policy to hire, transfer, suspend, lay off, recall, promote, discharge, their grievances, or effectively to recommend such action if in connection with the foregoing the exercise of such authority is not a merely routine or. clerical nature, but requires the use of independent judgment. -2- (K) EMPLOYER -EMPLOYEE RELATIONS --means the relationship between the City and its employees and their employee organizations, or when used in a general sense, the relationship between City management and employees or employee organizations. (L) GRIEVANCE --as this term is defined in Section 20 (A). (M) IMPASSE --means (1) a deadlock in the annual (or periodic) discussions between a majority representative and the City over any matters concerning which they are required to meet and confer in good faith, or over the scope of such subject matter; or (2) any unresolved complaint by an affected em^lcyee organization, advanced in good faith, concerning a decision of the Municipal Employee Relations Officer made pursuant to Sections 12, 13 or 14 of this Policy. (N) MAJORITY REPRESENTATIVE --means an employee organization, or its duly authorized representative, that has been granted formal recognition by the Municipal Employee Relations Officer as represen- ting the majority of employees in an appropriate unit. (0) MEDIATION OR CONCILIATION --means the efforts of an impartial third person, or persons, functioning as intermediaries, to assist the parties in reaching a voluntary resolution to an impasse, through interpretation, suggestion, and advice. Mediation and conciliation are interchangeable terms. (P) MEET AND CONFER IN GOOD FAITH (sometimes referred to herein as "meet and confer" or "meeting and conferring") --means per- formance by duly authorized representatives of an employee organization recognized as the majority representative of their mutual obligation to meet at reasonable times and to confer in good faith regarding matters within the scope of representation, including wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment, in an effort to: (1) reach agreement on those matters within the authority of such representatives and (2) reach agreement on what will.be recommended to the City Council.on those matters within the decision making authority of the City Council. This does not require either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. (Q) MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RELATIONS OFFICER --means the City's principal representative in all matters of employer -employee relations designated pursuant to Section 18, or his duly authorized representative. (R) PEACE OFFICER --as this term is defined in Section 830, California Penal Code. -3- (S) POLICY --means, unless the context indicates otherwise, the Employer -Employee Relations Policy of the City of National City. (T) REGISTERED EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS --means an employee organization which has been acknowledged by the Municipal Employee Relations Officer as an employee organization that represents emplo- yees of the City. The rights accompanying recognition are either: (1) Formal Recognition --which is the right to meet and confer in good faith as the majority representative in an appropriate unit; or (2) Informal Recognition --which is the right to consultation in good faith by all recognized employee organizations. (U) SCOPE OF REPRESENTATION --means all matters relating to em- ployment conditions and employer -employee relations, including, but not limited to, wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. City Rights (Section 6) are excluded from the scope of representation. (V) UNIT OR REPRESENTATION UNIT --An appropriate unit for purposes of employee representation established pursuant to Section 13 of this Policy. SECTION 4. PROOF OF REPRESENTATION OR SUPPORT For purposes of this Policy proof that an employee organization represents employees or proof of employee support shall be evidenced by one of the following: (1) Documented evidence of current dues -paying employee or- ganization membership or payroll dues deductions using the payroll immediately prior to the date the proof is submitted. (2) Employee organization authorization cards, signed and dated by the employees within six months prior to the date the proof is submitted. (3) A petition containing a statement of the action or autho- rization requested by the signatory or a petition delegating to a named employee organization the authority to represent the sigr_ators for the purpose of meeting and conferring in good faith with repre- sentatives of the City signed and dated by employees within six months of the filing thereof. Only authorization cards or signatures of employees currently employed at the time the proof is submitted shall be counted. -4- City: SEC'T'I i . 5. :nrn.,.-:-: ar .: Employees of 1-he Cite shall he'zc the right to .form, join and particirate in the activities of e--:^loYee organizations of their own choosing for the purpose of representation'on all matters.•of emplo�_'er-employee relations including but not limited to t.,ares, hours, and other terms and conditions of emnlo"rient. _,mnlovees of the Cite also shall have the right to refuse to join or partici- pate in the activities of emrloYee orr-:anizations and shall have the right to rerr,esc.nt t~ _ elve, '-0 .i.d l 1. their e^.-nlo-•-Ant re1at ie_ with t h= .,' City. Mo 'employee :c•i nt erferei , itn intieli..,ated, re..t_ain_d, coerced or discriminated against r the City or b• an rloYse organization because of his exercise of these rights. SECTION. 6. The rights of the City include, hut are not limited to, the exclusive right to determine the mission of its constituent departments, - commissions and boards; set standards of service; determine the procedures and standards of selection for employment and Promotion; directs its employees; take disciplinary action; relieve its emploYees from duty because of lack of work or for other legitimate reasons; maintain the efficiency of governmental orerations; determine the methods, means and rersonnel by which government orerations are to be conducted; determine the content of class sPecificati ons; take all necessary actions to carry out its mission in emergencies; and exercise complete control and discretion over its organization and the technology of performing its work. SECTION 7. rON7I `. I' L, '.TA,TAr_r ENT, AND SU"E717ISO7i* t •mLOvnr. S Rii_.].)i._:lti:.l V_v (A) Management and confidential employees who are memhers of an emnlovee organization which represents employees of the City who are not management or confidential employees shall not serve as representatives of such employee organization before City Management. (B) Supervisory employees shall not represent nonsupervisory or subordinate supervisor:, employees in grievance matters. (C) The City 'Manager shall designate confidential, management, and supervisory employees in accordance with the definitions in Section 3 of this Policy. SECTION 8. UNFAIR EMPLOYEE RELATIONS PRACTICES (A) It shall be an unfair employee relations practice for the (1) To interfere with, restrain, or coerce employees in the exercise of the right recognized or granted in this policy. -5- SECTION 8. (Cont'd) (2) To dominate or interfere with the formation of any employee organization or contribute financial support to it, pro- vided the rights recognized or granted to employee organizations in this Policy shall not be construed as financial support. (3) To refuse to meet and confer in good faith with representatives of recognized employee organizations on matters within the scope of representation. (B) It shall be an unfair employee relations practice for employee organizations or their representatives or members: (1) To interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of the rights recognized or granted, in this Policy. (2) To refuse to meet and confer in good faith with City officials on matters within the scope of representation, when the employee organization involved is a recognized employee orga- nization. (C) With respect to the impasse procedures set forth in Section 19 of this Policy, it shall be an unfair employee relations practice for either the City or a recognized employee organization to fail or refuse to cooperate with the City or with any mediators or fact -finders selected or designated pursuant to the provisions of said Section 19. (D) Charges of violations of this Section may be initiated by a management representative, by a representative of any employee organization, or by an individual employee or group of employees. Such charges shall be filed in writing with the City. (E) The City Manager shall conduct an investigation to determine whether a party has engaged in an unfair employee relations practice and shall advise the parties of his decision and if appropriate shall recommend corrective action. When the City finds that an unfair employee relations practice has been committed and corrective action is.either inappropriate or has not been taken it may recommend cor- rective action. When the City finds that an unfair employee relations practice has been committed and corrective action is either inap- propriate or has not been taken it may recommend to City Council the imposition of penalties. -6- SECTION 9. MEET AND CONFER IN GOOD FAITH --SCOPE (A) The City, through its representatives, shall meet and confer in good faith with representatives of formally recognized employee organizations with majority representation rights regarding matters within the scope of representation including wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment within the appropriate unit. (B) The City shall not be required to meet and confer in good faith on any subject preempted by Federal or State law or by the City Municipal Code, nor shall it be required to meet and confer in good faith on Employee or City Rights as defined in Section 5. and 6. Proposed amendments to this Policy are excluded from the scope of meeting and conferring. SECTION 10. CONSULTATION IN GOOD FAITH --SCOPE All matters affecting employer -employee relations, including those that arenotsibjectto meeting and conferring, are subject to consultation. The City, through its representatives, shall consult in good faith with representatives of all recognized employee or- ganizations on employer -employee relations matters which affect them. Advance notice on matters subject to consultation, hut out- side the scope of representation, is desirable but not mandatory. SECTION 11. ADVANCE NOTICE Reasonable written notice shall be given to each recognized employee organization affected of any ordinance, rule, resolution or regula- tion directly relating to matters within the scope of representation proposed to be adopted by the City Council or by any board or com- mission of the City, and each shall be given the opportunity to meet with such body prior to adoption. In cases of emergency when the City or any board or commission of the City determines that an ordinance, rule, resolution or regulation must be adopted immediately without prior notice or meeting with a recognized employee organization, the City or the board or commission of the City shall provide such notice and opportunity to meet at the earliest practicable time following the adoption of such ordinance, rule, resolution or regulation. -7- SECTION 12. ESTABLISHMENT OF REPRESENTATION UNITS AND CERTIFICATION OF RECOGNIZED EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS REPRESENTATION UNITS: CRITERIA FOR DETERMINATION. Representation units shall be determined in the City by the City as hereinafter set forth. It is the policy to establish the minimum number of units consistent with good employee relations. To minimize the fragmentation of units, the principal criterion for determining an appropriate representation unit shall be the largest feasible group of employees having an identifiable community of interest. In addition, the following and such other criteria as the City may adopt shall be applied in determ±imTan appropriate representation unit: (1) Division of a single classification arong two or more representation units shall be avoided wherever possible. (2) Professional employees shall not be denied the right to be represented separately from nonprofessional employees by a professional employee organization consisting of such professional employees. (3) Management, or confidential employees shall not be included in the same unit with nonmanagement, or nonconfidential employees. (4) The history of employee relations in the City shall be considered. (5) The effect of the proposed unit on the efficient operation of the City services and sound employee relations shall be considered. (6) The extent of membership of a group of employees in an employee organization shall not be the sole criterion. (7) Supervisory employees shall not be included in a unit with nonsupervisory employees unless such supervisory employees are in the same classification with nonsupervisory employees; provided, however, in such event, such supervisory employees shall not represent an employee organization in dealing with management representatives when such activity would result in a conflict of interest or otherwise be incompatible with law or the duties of the employees. -8- SECTION 13. PROCEDURE FOR DETERMINATION OF UNITS AND CERTIFICATION OF RECOGNIZED EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS (A) Petition. An employee organization that desires to become the recognized employee organization of a representation unit shall file with the City a petition for certification as recognized employee organization. The petition shall (1) describe the proposed represen- tation unit in detail, (2) state the number of employees in the pro- posed unit eligible for inclusion therein, and (3) be accompanied by proof of support by 30% or more of the employees within the proposed unit. (B) Notice of Filing Petition. Upon receipt of such petition the City shall give notice of the filing thereof to (1) all emnloyees in the proposed unit described in the petition, (2) all registered employee organizations and (3) the Personnel Officer. (C) Challenges. Within 30 days after the City gives notice of the filing of the petition, a written challenge of the appropriate- ness of the proposed unit or the validity of the petition or right of the petitioner to represent the proposed unit may be filed by (1) the Personnel Officer or (2) an employee orcanization. The challenge shall state the grounds for the challenge and when filed by an employee organization shall be accompanied by proof of support by 10% or more of the employees in the proposed unit. A challenge by an employee organization to the appropriateness of the proposed unit shall specify objections to the proposed unit and shall describe in detail an alternative representation unit. (D) Hearing. Upon receipt of a challenge, the City shall conduct a hearing at which the parties shall present testimony in support of the petition or challenge. Following the hearing, the City shall (1) determine the appropriate representation unit and call an election to be held in accordance with Section 17 of this Policy provided the petitioner has established proof of support by 30% or more of the employees in the appropriate representation unit, or (2) shall dismiss the petition. (E) No Challenge. If no challenge is filed within 30 days from the date of notice by the City of the filing of a petition, the City shall verify the proof of support submitted and, in its discretion, may conduct a hearing on the petition. If the proof of support is in excess of 50% of the employees in the proposed unit and the proposed unit is.,considered by the Citytote appropriate, the City shall esta- blish such unit and either (1) certify the petitioning employee orca nization as the recognized employee organization of such unit or (2) call an election to be held in accordance with Section 17 of this Policy. If proof of support is 50% or less of the employees in the proposed unit and the proposed unit is considered by the City to be appropriate, the City shall establish the unit and call an election to be held in accordance with Section 17 of this Policy. -9- (F) Employee Organizations on Ballot. There shall be placed on the ballot (1) the name of the petitioning employee organization that has established proof of support -by 3C% or -more of the employees in the representation unit determined by the City to be appropriate and (2) the names of any challenging employee organizations that have established proof of support by 10% or more of the employees in such representation unit. (G) Assignment of New Classifications. Each newly established class specification shall be assigned to an appropriate representation unit by the Personnel Officer, after consultation with registered and recognized employee organizations, if he finds that there is an appropriate unit to which such class specification may be assigned. An employee organization or 10% of the employees in such newly esta- blished class specification may appeal such assignment to the City. The appeal shall be in writing and shall be filed with the City within 30 days after the Personnel Officer makes the assignment. The decision of the City on the appeal shall be final. (H) City Rulings. The City's rulings at any hearing held pursuant to this Section or in determining an appropriate represen- tation unit shall be final. SECTION 14. R.ECOGN.ITION OF EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS AS MAJORITY REPRESENTATIVE - FORNf?L RECOG:ITION (A) The Municipal Employee Relations Officer shall: (1) Determine the majority representative of City employees in an appropriate unit by arranging for a secret ballot election or by any other reasonable method which is based upon written proof, and is designed to ascertain the free choice of a majority of such employees. The employee organization found to represent a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit shall be granted formal recognition and is the only employee organization entitled to meet and confer in good faith on matters within the scope of representation for employees in such unit. This shall not preclude other recognized employee organizations, or individual employees, from consulting with management representatives on employer -employee relations matters of concern to them. (2) Revoke the recognition rights of a majority representative, which has been found by secret ballot election no longer to be the majority representative. (B) The recognition rights of the majority representative designated in accordance with this Section shall not be subject to challenge for a period of not less than twelve months following the date of such recognition. -10- SECTiJ'; 15. r',.__TI':. 07 -,77I 'I''_`_IO_ : ^I'; FOR ?ILI''." P3TI^IQ :S (A) A certification by the City of a registered cncloyee organization of a renrese_ntation unit shall cdntinue in effect until such recognized e:".plo''ee organization is decertified with respect to said unit or the City certifies the same or some other employee organization as the recognized employee organization for such unit or portion thereof. (3) Following the determination representation unit organization of such unit pursuant to Policy, no Petition for certification orc an.izatie n of such unit, portion by the City of an anr;rorriate of a recegr.izcd e ^lo,eo a Section 13; or 17; of this as a recocr nixed e'T`loyee thereof, or petition for decertification with respect •to such unit, or portion t':ereof, shall be filed with or received by the City except during the months of August and September after the epiration of 12 months from the date of such certification. SECTION 16. DECERTIFICATION OF PWCO^:BIZ D 7.:TLOYEE OPf NIZ_ATION (A) Subject to the provisions of Section 16 of this Polio, employees in a representation unit for which there is a recognize employee or janization may file with the City a decertification Peti- tion to determine ..h ther or not the recognized employee organization continues to reeresent a majority of the eoplo"ees in the representa- tion unit. Such petition must he accompanied by proof of emplo'oo support hv 33 or more of the employees in the representation unit. (3) Upon receipt of a petition for decertification, the City shall verify the proof of employee support. If the City verifies the-reluired proof of employee support it shall call an election to be held in accordance with Section 17 of this Policy. SECTION 17. :.T.NCTIr,N 7,T,f=1177. (A) Whenever an election is rerTuired pursuant to this Policy, the municipal Employee 7elations Officer shall roguest the Personnel Officer to call and conduct a secret ballot election in accordance with procedures and regulations normally used. (3) Eligible voters shall be those employees in the represen tation unit whose salary is fixed at a monthly or biweeh17 rate by the City salary resolution and whose names appeared on the payroll immediately prior to the call of the election as employees in the representation unit, including those shown as on vacation or authorized leave of absence. -11- (C) Every ballot in an initial certification or decertification election shall contain a choice of "no organization" in addition to the names of the employee organizations which have qualified for placement on the ballot. (D) The City shall declare the results of the election and when a majority of those employees eligible to vote voted at the election it shall: (1) certify as the recognized employee organization of the representation unit the employee organization receiving a majority of the votes cast; (2) declare that no organization is the recognized employee organization of the unit if the choice "no orcanization" received a majority of the votes cast; or (3) following a decertifica- tion election, decertify the incumbent employee organization if the choice"No organization" received a. majority of the votes cast. If the ballot included three or more choices and none of the choices received a majority vote, a runoff election shall be held between the two choices receiving the largest number of votes. If less than a majority of those employees eligible to vote voted at the election, the election shall be declared a nullity and no further election shall be held based on the petition pursuant to which the election was held. (E) Except upon order of the City after a showing to it of good cause, no election shall be conducted in any representation unit within which in the preceding twelve-month period either -(1) a valid election shall have been held in which no employee organization received a majority of the votes cast or (2) an election shall have been held at which less than a majority of the eligible voters voted. (F) Any costs incurred in conducting an .election shall be borne equally among the employee organizations appearing on the ballot. SECTION 18. DESIGNATION OF MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE RELATIONS OFFICER The City Council shall designate, by Resolution, a Municipal Employee Relations Officer, who shall be the City's principal representative in all matters of employer -employee relations, with authority to meet and confer in good faith on matters within the scope of representation including wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. The Municipal Employee Relations Officer so designated is authorized to delegate these duties and responsibilities. SECTION 19. RESOLUTION OF IMPASSES Impasse procedures may be invoked only after the possibility of settlement by direct discussion has been exhausted. The impasse procedures are as follows: -12- SECTION 19. (Cont'd) (A) Mediation (or conciliation) (Defined in Section 3-0)-- All mediation proceedings shall be private. The Mediator shall make no public recommendations nor take any public position concerning the issues. (B) A Determination by the City Council - after hearing on the merits of the dispute. (C) Any other dispute resolving procedures to which the parties mutually agree or which the City Council may order. Any party may initiate the impasse Procedure by filinc ;with the other party (or parties) affected a written request for an impasse meeting together with a statement of its position on all disputed issues. An impasse meeting may then be scheduled by the Municipal Employee Relations Officer forthwith after the date of filing of the written request for such meeting, with written notice to all parties affected. The purpose of such impasse meeting is twofold: (1) To permit a review of the position of all parties in a final effort to reach agreement on the disputed issues, and (2) if agreement is not concluded, to mutually select the specific impasse procedure to which the dispute may be submitted; in the absence of agreement between the parties on this point, the matter may be referred to the City Council. The fees and expenses, if any, of mediators or of any other impasse procedure, shall be payable one-half by the City and one-half by the employee organization or employee organizations. SECTION 20. GRIEVANCES (A) A grievance is any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this Policy, or of rules or regulations governing personnel practices or working conditions, or of the practical con- sequences of a City rights' decision on wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. (B) Grievances shall be processed in accordance with procedures established by the City. SECTION 21. MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING When the meeting and conferring process is concluded, between the City and a formally recognized employee organization representing a majority of the employees in an appropriate unit, all agreed upon matters shall be incorporated in a written memorandum of understanding signed by the duly authorized City and majority representatives. As to those matters within the authority of the City Council, the memorandum of understanding shall be submitted to the City Council for determination. -13- SECTION 22. RULES AND REGULATIONS The City Council may adopt such Rules and Regulations necessary or convenient to implement the provisions of this Policy and Chapter 10,- Division 4, Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (Sections 3500, et sep.). SECTION 23. CONSTRUCTION (A) Nothing in this Policy. shall be construed to deny any person or employee the rights granted by Federal and State laws and City Code provisions. (B) The rights, powers and authority of the City Council in all matters, including the right maintain any legal action, shall not be modified or restricted by this Policy. (C) The provisions of this Policy are not intended to conflict with the provisions of Chapter 10, Division 4, Title 1 of the Government Code of the State of California (Sections 3500, et seq.) as amended in 1968. SECTION 24. SEPARABILITY If any provisions of this Policy, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, shall he held invalid, the remainder of this Policy, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which it is held invalid shall not be affected thereby. -14-