Melendres

Statement of Facts

Adolph B. Melendres (Melendres), respondent, was a police investigator employed by the Police Department of the City of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Fire & Police Protective League (League), appellant, in 1971 had a membership of approximately 9,000 regular firemen and sworn policemen who were employed by the City of Los Angeles. The total employment by the city of regular firemen and sworn policemen in that year was approximately 10,000.

In June of 1971, as a result of certain action taken by the Los Angeles City Council, the firemen and policemen of the City of Los Angeles were denied a 7.837 percent salary increase to which they would have been entitled if the council had implemented a salary formula contained in the Los Angeles Administrative Code. Melendres, on July 6, 1971, filed a class action on behalf of all the firemen and policemen employed by the City of Los Angeles in the superior court (No. C 6702), seeking a determination that said employees were entitled to a retroactive pay increase. Subsequent thereto, on July 19, 1971, the League filed its action on behalf of all the employed firemen and policemen and its members in the same court…