Los Angeles County: Measure A seeks binding arbitration for public safety unions

Los Angeles County voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to mandate binding arbitration for public safety labor disputes, a change that would transfer final decision-making power from the Board of Supervisors to independent arbitrators.

The proposal, known as Charter Amendment A, targets the 14 bargaining units representing approximately 16,500 county workers who are legally barred from striking, including firefighters, sheriff’s deputies, lifeguards, and deputy medical examiners. It does not apply to units whose members retain the right to strike.

Binding arbitration first appeared in California when Vallejo voters adopted it more than 50 years ago following a police strike. In 2007, a mediator ruled that the city could not reduce its fire department size despite financial struggles, and Vallejo declared bankruptcy eight months later. Vallejo voters reversed the policy in 2010.

County supervisors voted 4-0 to place the measure on the ballot this year, with Supervisor Holly Mitchell abstaining. Mitchell argued that unelected arbitrators do not weigh countywide trade-offs such as homeless services, healthcare, and capital improvements. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who helped draft the measure, countered that the process forces parties to base decisions on facts and fiscal reality rather than political preference.

Under the current system, supervisors can impose a final offer if negotiations fail, a power used only twice since 2001. If Measure A passes, a three-member panel would handle impasses. Each side selects one member, and they jointly choose a chair. The panel holds hearings on wages, hours, and other conditions, then issues a public, binding ruling.

Supporters argue the threat of arbitration encourages both sides to settle. Dave Gillotte, president of the International Assn. of Firefighters Local 1014, which represents over 3,000 employees, said the process provides leverage that is currently missing. Derek Hsieh, executive director of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, noted that the current system gives the employer near unilateral control over contract provisions.

Justin McBride of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment stated that academic studies do not show binding arbitration systematically favoring one side. He cited a 2010 Cornell University study of New York negotiations, which found that arbitration cases declined over time as parties learned to work together. McBride described the outcome as a standard element of collective bargaining where both parties accept a deal.

Unions representing firefighters, deputies, and other public safety groups have raised $7.7 million through mid-October to support the measure. No formal opposition campaign has reported spending. Progressive groups L.A. Forward and La Defensa urge a no vote, primarily because the measure includes the Sheriff’s Department. La Defensa argued in its voter guide that bundling deputies with other workers weaponizes a process they otherwise support.