Police officer, firefighter unions negotiate raises

Organizations agree to three-year contracts with city; give up comp time pay and share costs of benefit increases
Healdsburg police officers and firefighters will get raises as part of a three-year contract deal reached this week with the city.
In return, the local unions gave up comp time pay and agreed to caps on health benefit coverage, as well as changes to the city’s uniform policy.
Both groups negotiate contracts with the city and neither of the public safety unions had received raises or cost of living increases since the economic downturn in 2008.
The salary increases for both groups start with a 5 percent bump the first year, and two percent raises each of the following two years.
“I’m just glad we were able to come to an agreement. We’ve been concession bargaining since 2008,” said Jason Boaz, President of the local firefighters union.
The city commissioned a study earlier in the year to assess the salaries of city employees as compared to others in the area. The compensation study, completed in May of this year, found that public safety employees in Healdsburg were compensated slightly below average.
The salary increases will help the local departments attract and retain employees, Boaz said.
The previous contracts for both of the public safety groups expired June 30, 2014, and both groups negotiated new three-year contracts.
“I want to thank the firefighters and staff that got to a good resolution on the longterm contract,” Healdsburg Mayor Jim Wood said.
Assistant City Manager David Mickaelian praised both groups for the professionalism displayed during contract negotiations.
“These are not all easy topics,” he said.
Aside from the salary increases, the police and fire unions agreed to changes in their medical coverage that will result in public safety employees sharing equal costs of health insurance rate increases.
The city will also eliminate the accrual of compensatory time off (CTO). According to a city report, “The elimination of CTO will no longer allow staff to accrue overtime hours while covering someone else’s shift. This will help control impacts to staffing and overtime.”
The salary increases for the three year contract for firefighters will cost the city an estimated $214,824. Capping the city’s exposure to increased medical premiums is estimated to save the city approximately $22,500 over the three year period.
Salary increases for the police officers will cost the city an estimated $459,827. Capping the city’s exposure to increased medical premiums is estimated to save the city approximately $78,144 over the three year period.