About

The Office of the Labor Commissioner (OLC) was created by City Charter in 1968. The OLC works in partnership with managers and supervisors, union leadership and their membership, and employees to promote effective labor relations in the workplace. Our core values of continuous improvement, teamwork, and achieving results are woven into every aspect of labor relations management. We are a strategic partner of the Administration and through our labor relations activities support the Mayor’s initiatives.

The OLC’s responsibilities include carrying out the collective bargaining and meeting and conferring obligations of the City; administering the MOUs, advocating the City’s position in arbitration proceedings; serving as the hearing officer at the final internal step in the employee grievance process; and conducting labor relations training for supervisors and managers. The OLC provides support to supervisors with respect to staff discipline and grievance handling. The OLC also provides policy direction, information, and answers to labor relations questions for employees, supervisors, managers, and officials.

The OLC serves as the hearing officer in the last internal step in the grievance process outlined in each union’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and AM 210-1. In some cases, the OLC can help parties to a grievance facilitate a mutually agreeable settlement to their dispute.

The OLC conducts contract negotiations with 8 City unions and 1 professional organization. These 9 groups represent 85% of the City’s workforce. The OLC negotiates collective bargaining agreements (also called MOUs) with employee representatives of each of these groups. The negotiations are related to wages, hours, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The OLC oversees the administration of the MOUs including grievance hearings. The OLC also studies and makes recommendations for the establishment, revision, or correction of City policies and procedures with respect to labor-management matters.