Squire

In a declaratory relief and mandamus action brought by the Transport Workers Union, in its representative capacity, against the City and County of San Francisco, its Mayor, board of supervisors, civil service commission and controller, we are called upon to decide whether the trial court properly interpreted a provision in section 151.3.1 of the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco. Section 151.3.1, submitted to the electorate as Proposition G, approved by the voters in the November 7, 1967 election, and effective July 1, 1968, tied wages and conditions and benefits other than wages of the platform employees and coach and bus operators of the Municipal Railway of the City and County of San Francisco to the “average of the two highest wage schedules” in comparable systems in the nation. The two highest systems prevailing on July 1 of each year were to be determined by a survey conducted by the civil service commission.

On August 4, 1969, pursuant to the provisions of the section, the civil service commission certified to the board of supervisors systems in Washington, D.C. and Boston, Massachusetts, as the systems with the two highest wage schedules. The…