§ 33-147. Declaration of policy.

The public policy of Montgomery County is to promote a harmonious, peaceful, and cooperative relationship between the County government and its fire and rescue employees and to protect the public by assuring, at all times, the responsive, orderly, and efficient operation of the Department of Fire and Rescue Services. Since unresolved disputes in the fire and rescue service harm the public and fire and rescue employees, adequate means should be available to prevent disputes and resolve them when they occur. To that end, it is in the public interest that fire and rescue employees have the opportunity to bargain collectively over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment, as authorized by Charter Section 510A, through a representative of their choice, or to refrain from collective bargaining. It is also in the public interest that the County government and a representative of fire and rescue employees bargain collectively in good faith without interference with the orderly process of government, and that they implement any agreement reached through collective bargaining.

Fire and rescue employee organizations and the County government each possess substantial means for initiating actions on wages, hours, and working conditions of employees. Therefore, in order to preserve an appropriate balance between labor and management in the fire and rescue service, once the employees voluntarily select a representative collective bargaining must be used in place of, and not in addition to, existing means to initiate government action on subjects that are appropriate for collective bargaining under this Article. (1996 L.M.C., ch. 21, § 1.)

Editor’s note—See County Attorney Opinion dated explaining the Inspector General’s authority to investigate an ongoing personnel matter as part of the goal of detecting and deterring fraud, waste and abuse. See County Attorney Opinion dated analyzing that, although permitted under personnel and collective bargaining principles, a grant program to cover closing costs for public safety employees would be taxable income to the employees receiving the benefit.