Los Angeles County Employees Ass'n v. County of Los Angeles

Petitioners, certain Los Angeles County employees and their union, appeal from judgments in favor of the County of Los Angeles and various County officials (defendant County), after the trial court denied petitions for writ of mandate. This appeal involves two actions filed separately but consolidated for hearing and on appeal, apparently because the parties agree that the issues in both cases are the same.

Facts

Petitioners are County tractor operators and their union, and the union on behalf of County nursing employees. (Ante, fn. 1.) Their basic grievance is that the job classifications of both groups of employees were downrated.

The Tractor Operators

Sometime before July 21, 1971, the Los Angeles County Director of Personnel conducted studies of the utility tractor operator (UTO) positions and recommended to the Los Angeles County Civil Service Commission that the positions be reclassified, chiefly to the lower position of light tractor operator (LTO). On July Si, 1971, the civil service commission approved the recommended reclassifications.

On August 19, 1971, all 28 UTOs were notified by letter that the study resulted in 21 men “being reclassified to a new…