(a) An employee shall have the right, freely and without fear of penalty or reprisal, to form, join or assist and be represented by an employee organization or to refrain from any such activity.
(b) The employees have the right to be represented by an employee organization, including the right to meet with representatives of the county concerning conditions of employment and the resolution of grievances.
(c) Nothing in this article shall preclude the rights of an employee to pursue an individual grievance through established administrative procedures or through appeal to the personnel board, in that nothing in this article shall circumvent or shall be deemed to supersede or annul the provisions of the laws of the state, the county charter, or the laws and ordinances of the county, including the personnel regulations.
(d) An employee who is not a member of an employee organization must never be required to become a member of an employee organization or to pay money to an employee organization except on a purely voluntary basis. (1977 L.M.C., ch 27, § 1; 1986 L.M.C., ch. 70, § 2.)