2.20.040   County neutrality and employee rights.
   A.   The county's confidential, managerial and supervisory employees, in their employment dealings with eligible employees, shall remain neutral on the issue of whether employees are to be represented by an employee organization or if so, which of any potential employee organizations should be the representative of such employees. Eligible employees shall not be treated adversely in the workplace for discussing or expressing their views regarding employee representation, the employee organization, or workplace issues.
   B.   Employees may join or engage in activities on behalf of an employee organization on non-county working time or at times otherwise agreed to be the parties. Employees shall be free from any interference, restraint, or coercion by any employee, supervisor, or manager because of their membership or participation in employee organizations, so long as any activity involving any employee organization or potential employee organization is done on non-county working time or at times otherwise agreed to by the parties and does not interfere with or disrupt the work of the county. Employees may talk about employee organizations on county working time under the same terms applicable to any other employee conversation regarding non-work related topics.
   C.   Any employee representatives may request payroll deductions for employee organization dues and other deductions authorized by employees. Such deductions shall be made if authorized in writing by the employee, and on the terms authorized by the employee. Any employee who has authorized deductions of employee organization dues may withdraw any such authorization pursuant to applicable county policy.
   D.   Upon an employee organization's election as the authorized representative of eligible county employees, the employee organization's representatives may, pursuant to written administrative procedures promulgated by the county administrator have access to public portions of county facilities during times that they are normally open to the public, and to non-public areas upon approval of the county administrator or applicable department head, to meet with employees and conduct employee organization business, provided that such employees engage in these activities during non-county working time or at times otherwise agreed to by the parties. The county shall not unreasonably restrict such access.
   E.   Nothing in this chapter shall require any employee to become a member of or otherwise be affiliated with any employee organization or penalize in any manner any employee who chooses such non-affiliation. Individual employees, groups of employees, and employee representative organizations that are not the authorized representative may communicate directly and freely with the management and elected and appointed officials of the county on any matter that may be the subject of the meet and confer process and the flow of information to the board shall not be impeded in any way.
(Ord. 2009-69 § 1 (part), 2009: Ord. 2008-83 § 1 (part), 2008: Ord. 2007-1 § 1 (part), 2007)