§ 1-2. Findings and policy.

(a) Preventing and resolving controversies.

The City Council finds that unresolved disputes involving employees in the municipal service are injurious to the public, the municipality, and municipal employees. Therefore, adequate means should be provided for preventing controversies between the municipality and its employees and for resolving them when they occur.

(b) Fair treatment of employees.

Because the paramount interest of the public and the nature of municipal governmental processes make it necessary to impose special limitations upon public employment, it is incumbent upon the municipality to provide orderly procedures for the participation by municipal employees and their representatives in the formulation of personnel policies and plans, to insure the fair and considerate treatment of municipal employees, to eliminate employment inequities, and to provide effective means of resolving questions and controversies with respect to terms and conditions of employment, at the same time insuring that the public health, welfare, and safety will be at all times maintained.

(c) Cooperative efforts.

(1) To that end, it is necessary in the public interest that the municipal officials, municipal employees, and their representatives, shall enter into negotiations with affirmative willingness to resolve grievances and differences.

(2) Municipal agencies and employees and their representatives shall have a mutual obligation to endeavor in good faith to resolve grievances and differences relating to terms and conditions of employment with due regard for and subject to the provisions of applicable laws relating to personnel policies, including hiring, promotion, suspension, discharge, position classification, and fixing of compensation and any and all other laws, ordinances, and Charter provisions governing public employment and fiscal practices in the City of Baltimore.