Professional Engineers in California Government v. Department of Transportation

Respondent, employee organization Professional Engineers in California Government (hereinafter PECG), filed a *95 petition on June 21, 1978, for peremptory writ of mandate pursuant to the George Brown Act (hereinafter GBA; Gov. Code, §§ 3525 through 3536, entitled “State Employee Organizations”), 1 seeking to compel the Department of Transportation (hereinafter Department) to meet and confer in good faith with respondent with respect to the manpower needs of said Department. PECG also sought a writ commanding Department to furnish information within its manpower needs, including, but not limited to “promotions, work loads, demotions, transfers, reclassifications, staffing plans and allocations, potential layoffs or reduction of staff, reemployment of previously demoted or laid-off engineers, vacancies, downgrading of positions, and temporary assignments of engineers.”

The Department’s demurrer, filed on July 10, 1978, asserting, inter alia, that it had no legal duty to meet and confer on said “manpower needs,” was overruled by the trial court. In granting PECG’s petition the court ordered the Department “to meet and confer in good faith with the petitioner with respect…