American Federation of State v. County of San Diego

The Board of Supervisors of San Diego County (Board) reversed a decision of a hearing officer requiring the County of San Diego (County) to meet and confer, under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (Gov. Code, §§ 3500-3510; MMBA) with Local 3300 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO (Local 3300) concerning noneconomic benefits of employment for employees of the Superior Court of San Diego County (Superior Court ). The “noneconomic” benefits at issue are within the scope of section 69904, subdivision (b), authorizing a majority of the judges of the Superior Court to adopt personnel regulations entitling Superior Court employees “to step advancement, vacation, sick leave, holiday benefits, other leaves of absence, and other benefits . . . .”

The County met and conferred under the MMBA only with respect to the “economic” benefits within the scope of section 69904, subdivision (a), which deals with establishing and adjusting titles and rates of compensation for Superior Court employees “by joint action and approval of the board of supervisors and a majority of the judges of the court.” The County and Local 3300 ratified a memorandum of…