Community Corner

Public Employee Raises May Go to Vote June 10

The raises are part of a tentative agreement with six labor groups.

With a majority of City Council members backing five-year agreements with the city of San Diego's employee unions, council President Todd Gloria on Wednesday tentatively scheduled a June 10 vote on the pact.

The tentative deals, announced Tuesday, would gradually restore most of a 6 percent pay cut to employees, in effect since 2009, by reducing furlough days and lowering health care costs.

The agreements still need ratification by the rank-and-file of six labor groups, after which council members would vote on final adoption. They gave the deals an initial go-ahead in a unanimous closed-session vote, city officials said.

Gloria immediately praised the tentative agreements soon after they were announced.

"Reaching this tentative deal is another demonstration of the collaborative mindset of the San Diego City Council," Gloria said. "Too often, labor negotiations are seen as partisan battles. This city council continues to put policy above politics, and the results benefit our citizens, our employees, and taxpayers."
Most city employees would see their take-home pay rise by 1.75 percent in each of the first three years.

The pay levels have not been set for the final two years, giving five of the unions a chance to reopen negotiations on that part of the agreement while hoping the city's fiscal condition continues to improve.

Public safety employees would receive higher pay increases in the first year -- 2.25 percent for firefighters and lifeguards, and 2 percent for police officers. The San Diego Police Officers Association opted to take 1 percent raises in the fourth and fifth years of the agreement instead of reopening talks.

"I ask our employees to ratify the agreement negotiated with the leaders of your organizations so we can all continue to work together to move San Diego forward," Gloria said.

Councilman Kevin Faulconer said the "landmark" deals begin to "responsibly restore compensation cuts."

Scott Sherman Lorie Zapf will both vote to adopt the deals, the council members' aides told City News Service. Councilman David Alvarez said he was in favor at Tuesday's news conference.

The offices of Councilwoman Marti Emerald and Councilman Mark Kersey did not immediately respond to an inquiry into their stances, though Faulconer's statement said Kersey stood with him.

The city's general fund, which pays for basic services like public safety and libraries, will save $20 million in each of the next two fiscal years if the agreements are approved, according to Mayor Bob Filner.

He said about half would go toward restoring the pay cuts. The mayor's budget proposal for the fiscal year that begins July 1 used some one-time revenue to pay for ongoing expenses and shorted a liability fund, issues that would be fixed with much of the rest of the savings, he said.

-City News Service


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