San Francisco Fire Fighters Local 798 v. City and County of San Francisco

Filed 5/18/06

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF CALIFORNIA

SAN FRANCISCO FIRE FIGHTERS                         )

LOCAL 798,                        )

                                                )

                        Plaintiff and Appellant,                        )

                                                )                        S131818

                        v.                        )

                                                )                        Ct.App. 1/5 A104822

CITY AND COUNTY OF SAN                         )

FRANCISCO et al.,                        )

                        )                        San Francisco County

                        Defendants and Respondents.                        )                        Super. Ct. No. CPF 03-503025

___________ )

In this case, we consider a provision of the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco that requires disputes between the City and County of San Francisco (the City) and unions representing firefighters and other public safety officers, after bargaining to impasse, to be submitted to binding arbitration.  An exception to this binding arbitration requirement is any rule or policy â€