CALIFORNIA – Negotiators representing more than 1,800 Orange County Sheriff’s deputies have apparently reached an impasse in salary talks with county supervisors as the two sides have been unable to come to terms on employee pension contributions and pay raises.
Supervisors have remained steadfast in their demands that deputies pay significantly more toward their pensions to help alleviate the county’s $5 billion unfunded liability. Deputies, meanwhile, say they are ready to agree to increased pension contributions but want a pay raise to help cushion the blow.
Adding pressure to the negotiations is the reality that the county must balance its budget with $73 million less than it had previously because supervisors lost a legal fight last year over property tax revenue.
While deputies were required to pay a small portion of their employee share of monthly pension payments in the last county contract negotiation, the amount was small and was slowly phased in over several years to the current 6 percent figure. Prior to 2009, deputies paid nothing into their retirement benefits.
County supervisors argue that’s unsustainable, not only for the solvency of the pension system, but for the prospects of any pay raises in the near future.
They are demanding that deputies immediately step up to pay the full 16-percent employee share of their monthly pension contribution.
Deputy union officials counter with the argument that other jurisdictions are in hiring mode and if county officials force such a hard deal on the union, they will lose their best deputies to other places and have to spend large amounts to recruit and retain.
They point to the myriad problems faced by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department – which recently confronted allegations that softening recruiting standards has attracted deputies with less than stellar backgrounds.
In many ways, an impasse is hardly surprising given this is the last of a group of grinding contract negotiations in the county’s so-called “Super Bowl of Labor Talks,” with the contracts of a half-dozen county unions expiring in recent years.
Nearly every group – executives, managers, attorneys and general employees – has reached impasse and most have hard pension payments imposed on them. General workers already pay the full employee share of their pension payment.
Supervisor Todd Spitzer said he’s concerned about Sheriff’s Department morale, saying it ranks 16th out of 22 law enforcement agencies in Orange County when it comes to pay and benefits.
“I’m concerned, and I know the sheriff (Sandra Hutchens) is concerned about recruitment and retention,’’ Spitzer said. `”I don’t want to turn Orange County into Los Angeles.”
Friday morning, County Human Resources Director Steve Danley said supervisors’ direction was to declare impasse at 4 p.m. if the deputies did not accept the county’s “last, best and final offer.”
Then two hours after the deadline had passed, Danley said deputy union officials had sent a letter seeking a delay.
Danley then said he would consult attorneys and other county officials before declaring impasse saying, “I’ll hold off on any pronouncements until Monday.”
However, a spokeswoman for the deputy sheriff’s on Friday night said a decision had already been made.
“Our understanding is we are at impasse,” said Kimberly Edds, spokeswoman for the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.
Spitzer was confident a deal could be reached, despite the ominous tone of the word “impasse.”
“Impasse is a term of art,” Spitzer said. “It means you will continue discussions but generally involves a mediator. I’m hopeful we’ll be able to continue the discussion.”
Contact the writer: Voice of OC is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on public policy in Orange County. Contact Norberto Santana Jr. at 949-374-0402 and at nsantana@voiceofoc.org
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-610636-deputies-pay.html