98-240RESOLUTION NO. 98R- 240
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF ANAHEIM OPPOSING MEASURE A ON THE NOVEMBER
3, 1998 ELECTION BALLOT AND URGING ITS DEFEAT
BY THE VOTERS OF ANAHEIM
WHEREAS, Measure A on the ballot for the November 3, 1998
Anaheim municipal election is an initiative measure which, if
approved by the voters, would amend the Anaheim City Charter to
require that all unresolved disputes between the City and the City
firefighters' union concerning wages, hours or terms and conditions
of employment of City firefighters be submitted to an outside
three-member board of arbitrators for a binding decision; and
WHEREAS, Measure A would take away the rights of voters
to hold elected representatives accountable for the wages paid to
City firefighters and would place this decision in the hands of a
board of arbitrators not elected by, or accountable to, the
taxpayers of Anaheim; and
WHEREAS, Measure A would require the board of arbitrators
to select either the last offer of the City or the last offer of
the firefighters' union and impose the selected offer upon the City
taxpayers and the City firefighters irrespective of its effects and
consequences; and
WHEREAS, Measure A would create a ~'NO WIN" situation for
both City taxpayers and City firefighters. If the arbitrators
select the union's last offer, the City will be forced to make cuts
in other programs or services to fund the union's demands. If the
arbitrators select the City's offer, the firefighters will be
forced to work under a labor contract they have not approved; and
WHEREAS, the City has a track record of continued fair
labor negotiations and has proven this recently by reaching
agreement with all of its recognized labor organizations except the
Anaheim Firefighters Association; and
WHEREAS, in 1997, even without a labor agreement, the
average gross pay and benefits for Anaheim firefighters was
$90,762; and
WHEREAS, binding arbitration has been found to hinder
effective and efficient government by favoring prevailing practices
over best practices, to promote short-term interests over long-term
solutions, to discourage good faith negotiations, and to impede
cooperative and collaborative joint labor/management efforts; and
WHEREAS, the Anaheim Budget Advisory Commission has gone
on record as unanimously opposing Measure A; and