L.A. County Unions Push $7.7 Million Campaign for Binding Arbitration

Los Angeles County voters will decide on Nov. 3 whether to hand final authority over public safety labor contracts to independent arbitrators. The measure would end the Board of Supervisors' power to impose final terms when negotiations with unions reach an impasse.

Unions representing county firefighters, sheriff's deputies, and other non-striking public safety employees are spending heavily to pass the proposal. Financial disclosure reports show these groups raised $7.7 million through mid-October. No campaign funds have been reported against the measure.

The ballot initiative, known as Charter Amendment A, would cover 14 bargaining units comprising approximately 16,500 workers. This group includes lifeguards and deputy medical examiners. The measure would not apply to units where workers retain the right to strike.

Under the current system, supervisors can force unions to accept a final offer if talks stall. This power has been used only twice since 2001. Under the new rules, a three-member panel would take over if an impasse is declared. Each side would select one arbitrator, and the two would choose the chair.

Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who helped draft the measure, argued that the process forces both sides to base decisions on facts rather than political preferences. She stated that the system opens up the books and shows whether resources exist to meet demands.

Supervisor Holly Mitchell, who abstained when the board voted 4-0 to place the measure on the ballot, raised concerns about unelected officials making trade-offs. She noted that arbitrators are not required to weigh countywide priorities such as homeless services, healthcare, and capital improvements.

Derek Hsieh, executive director of the Assn. for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said the current process gives employers near unilateral control. He argued that the threat of arbitration would spur negotiators to reach agreements and prevent wild proposals that arbitrators would likely reject.

Dave Gillotte, president of the International Assn. of Firefighters Local 1014, agreed that the threat of arbitration creates leverage. He said the process moves both parties to work hard to finish contracts, a dynamic he said is currently missing.

Justin McBride of the UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment said academic studies do not show a consistent advantage for either side. He cited a 2010 Cornell University study of New York negotiations that found cases going to arbitration declined after a few years as sides learned to work together.

Some progressive groups oppose the measure despite the lack of a formal campaign. La Defensa, a prison abolition group, urged a no vote in its voter guide, stating that bundling deputies with firefighters weaponizes the process. L.A. Forward also recommended a no vote.