PREAMBLE

The District of Columbia Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act (D.C. Law 2-139,-Title 1, Chapter 6, Subchapter 1, D.C. Official Code § 1-601.02) states that the Council of the District of Columbia declares that it is the purpose and policy of this act to assure that the District of Columbia Government shall have a modern flexible system of public personnel administration, which shall “provide for a positive policy of labor-management relations including collective bargaining between the District of Columbia and its employees….”

The District of Columbia Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act (D.C. Law 2-139, Title I, Chapter 6, Subchapter XVIII, (D.C. Official Code) Section 1-617.01) states the District of Columbia Government finds and declares that an effective collective bargaining process is in the general public interest and will improve the morale of public employees and the quality of service to the public.

The District of Columbia Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act (D.C. Law 2-139, Title 1, Chapter 6, Subchapter XVIII, (D.C. Official Code) Section 1-617.01(b) provides for collective bargaining between the Mayor of the District of Columbia and labor organizations accorded exclusive recognition for employee representation for employees of the District of Columbia Government.

Pursuant to the District of Columbia Comprehensive Merit Personnel Act (D.C. Law 2-139, Title 1, Chapter 6, Subchapter XVIII, (D.C. Official Code) Section 1-61 7.10), various local unions or District Council 20 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-ClO, (herein “AFSCME” or the “Union”) have been certified and/or recognized as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for employees of the District of Columbia Government (hereinafter the “District” or the “Employer”).

According, AFSCME and the District enter into this Agreement, which shall have as its purposes:

(1) Promotion of a positive policy of labor-management relations between the District of Columbia Government and its employees;

(2) Improvement of morale of employees in service to the District of Columbia Government;

(3) Enhancement of the quality of public service to the citizens of the District of Columbia;

(4) Creation of a government that works better, and

(5) Promotion of the rights of District of Columbia Government employees to express their views without fear of retaliation.

AFSCME and the District of Columbia Government declare that each party has been afforded the opportunity to put forth all its non-compensation proposals and to bargain in good faith. Both parties agree that this Agreement is in the result of their collective bargaining and each party affirms its contents without reservation. This Preamble is intended to provide the background and purpose of the Collective Bargaining Agreement. Alleged violations of the Preamble per se will not be cited as contract violations.