City Signs Labor Contracts with Police, Fire Fighters, City Employees

The City Council today approved six labor contracts that spell out employment terms for city of San Diego workers in the fiscal year that begins July 1.   

The deals with the San Diego Police Officers Association, International Association of Fire Fighters Local 145, Teamsters Local 911, Deputy City Attorneys Association, Municipal Employees Association and American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Local 127 contain no changes in salaries or specialty pay.   

A 6 percent salary reduction implemented in 2009 will remain in place. The deals do, however, provide employees with 16 hours of discretionary leave that expires at the end of the fiscal year.   

The contracts also allow the city to reopen negotiations at some point to discuss altering a controversial deferred retirement plan to make it cost- free to the city. The pacts also change policies on the use of volunteers and institute new rules on take-home vehicles.

“All the effort that went into it, particularly with no salary increases, should be noted,” Councilman Kevin Faulconer said. “That willingness of our employees to come to the table on that should not be unrecognized.”  

The MOUs were passed on a series of 6-1 votes, with Councilman Carl DeMaio dissenting and Councilwoman Marti Emerald absent.   

DeMaio, who is running for mayor, said his policy was to approve labor contracts that “move the ball forward for taxpayers.” He said he approved of many of the new provisions, but the deals avoid reforms to specialty pay, grant employees additional time off and continue automatic pay increases.   

All six of the contracts have been ratified by employees. 

–City News Service

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