Los Angeles City & County Employees Union, Local 99 v. Los Angeles City Board of Education

We are called upon in this case to interpret certain statutory and charter provisions which mandate the payment to public employees of wages and salaries at levels at least equal to the prevailing wages and salaries paid by private employers for similar service. Specifically, we must determine whether these provisions require wage and salary review and adjustment on a more frequent basis than annually. We have concluded that the governing body of a public agency satisfies its obligations under the “prevailing wage” legislation at issue by making annual adjustments, and that the decision to provide more frequent review and salary adjustment rests entirely in the sound discretion of the. governing board.

Plaintiff unions (hereinafter petitioners) represent some 6,000 “classified” (i.e., other than certificated teaching and administrative) employees of defendant, the Los Angeles Board of Education. .For many years, including the year in question, the board has approved annual prevailing wage increases which were effective as of the first pay period after the beginning of the fiscal year on July 1. In addition, since January 1965, the board has also approved certain midyear…