City Council unanimously passed a historic collective bargaining ordinance at a public hearing on Saturday. The newly passed ordinance will mark the first time the city will grant its public sector employees the legal right to collectively bargain. Collective bargaining, which is the legal process by which employees negotiate wages, benefits and working conditions with their employers, has long been outlawed for government workers in the city and the state. Under the new ordinance, city employees will be allowed to enter into binding legal negotiations with the city over wages and benefits as well as other conditions of their employment, including procedures for resolving grievances, provisions for workplace safety and scheduling.