Sec. 2-209. Findings and purpose.
The Phoenix City Council hereby finds and declares that:
1. The people of Phoenix have a fundamental interest in the development of harmonious and cooperative relationships between the City government and its employees;
2. Recognition by public employers of the right of public employees to organize, and full acceptance of the principle and procedure of full communication between public employers and public employee organizations can alleviate various forms of strife and unrest;
3. The City, its employees and employee organizations have a basic obligation to the public to assure the orderly and continuous operations and functions of government;
4. There neither is, nor can be, an analogy of status between public employees and private employees, in fact or law, because of inherent differences in the employment relationship arising out of the unique fact that the public employer was established by and is operated for the benefit of all the people and its authority and purpose derives not from contract nor the profit motive inherent in the principle of free private enterprise, but from the Constitution; State statutes; City Charter, ordinances, resolutions, and civil service rules and regulations.
It is the purpose of this ordinance to obligate the City, public employees, and their representatives, acting within the framework of the law, to enter into discussions with affirmative willingness to resolve grievances and disputes relating to wages, hours and working conditions. It is also the purpose of this ordinance to promote the improvement of employer-employee relations by providing a uniform basis for recognizing the right of public employees to join, or refrain from joining, organizations of their own choice and be represented by such organizations in their employer-employee relations and dealings with the City in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance. It is also the purpose of this ordinance that the results of agreements between the employer and the employees will be drafted into written memoranda of understanding. (Ord. No. G-1532, § 1; Ord. No. G-3303, § 2)