City & County of San Francisco v. International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39

**What happened:** The City and County of San Francisco got into a dispute with the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 39, over whether the union had to follow the city's mandatory arbitration procedures outlined in the city charter. The city tried to force the union into arbitration through the regular court system (superior court) rather than going through the proper labor relations process. **What the court decided:** The California Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the union. The court said that the Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) – not the regular courts – has the exclusive right to handle disputes about whether unions must follow city charter arbitration rules. The city couldn't bypass PERB and go straight to superior court to force arbitration. **Why this matters for workers:** This decision protects public sector workers and their unions by ensuring labor disputes go through the proper specialized channels designed for employment issues. It prevents employers from "forum shopping" – trying to find a more favorable court when they don't like the normal process. Workers benefit because PERB has expertise in labor relations and is specifically set up to handle these complex employment disputes fairly.