(a) Career fire fighters shall have the right to organize and bargain collectively regarding wages, benefits, working conditions and/or terms and conditions of employment through representative employee organizations of their own choosing as provided by ordinance of the County Council.
(b) In addition to the rights granted in subsection (a) of this Section to organize and bargain collectively, the County Council shall provide by ordinance for binding arbitration with authorized representatives of the appropriate employee bargaining unit in order to resolve labor disputes with the County’s career fire fighters. The ordinance shall provide for the appointment of a neutral arbitrator by the parties to the arbitration who shall issue a binding decision to be implemented as part of the following year’s budget process.
(Charter Referendum Petition Approved on November 6, 2018)