Sec. 33-101. Declaration of policy.

It is the public policy of Montgomery County to promote a harmonious, peaceful, and cooperative relationship between the county government and its employees and to protect the public by assuring, at all times, the responsive, orderly, and efficient operation of county government and services. Since unresolved disputes in public service are harmful to the public and to employees, adequate means should be available for preventing disputes and for resolving them when they occur. To that end, it is in the public interest that employees have the opportunity to bargain collectively over wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment, as authorized by Charter section 511, 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 county employees bargain collectively in good faith without interference with the orderly process of government and that they implement any agreements reached through collective bargaining.

The county council also recognizes that 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 public service, the county council states that once the employees voluntarily select a representative, collective bargaining shall be used in place of, and not in addition to, existing means for initiating governmental action on subjects that are defined as appropriate for like collective bargaining in this article.