LAKEPORT, Calif. – Following ongoing negotiations, the Board of Supervisors last week approved a new contract with the Lake County Correctional Officers Association.
The new contract covers a two-and-a-half-year period that began last July 1 and expires Dec. 31, 2013.
Deputy County Administrative Officer Matt Perry, Deputy County Counsel Shanda Harry and Senior Administrative Analyst Jennifer Hammond negotiated the agreement with the union.
The report to the board from Perry, Harry and Hammond explained that the union's representatives worked cooperatively with the county “to develop a package of no cost and low cost items which the County can afford at this time.”
The county’s correctional officers have remained willing to compromise on salaries and benefits at the same time as they are finding themselves faced with additional demands due to correctional realignment, which is sending some prisoners who previously would have served time in state prison to the county jail instead.
Perry told the board at its June 5 meeting that the union had approved the agreement a few weeks earlier.
Significant changes include a 4-percent salary adjustment for employees in the PERS safety retirement system; that adjustment was in exchange for employees paying their full share of their retirement contributions, which is 5 percent.
There is no cost of living increase; instead, the agreement provides 40 hours of personal leave in lieu of cost of living increases for current employees. New employees hired after this July 1 would receive 24 hours of personal leave and those hired after July 1, 2013, would receive eight hours of such leave.
For employees in the “miscellaneous” PERS retirement system, existing salary rates will continue, and the MOU additionally allows the county to amend the PERS contract to provide a 2 percent at 60 retirement plan.
In addition, employees who are demoted shall be placed at the salary step representing the least loss of pay; the employee caring for the department’s canine may have first right of refusal to purchase the animal for $1 when the dog is ready to retire; and there is a timeframe for responding to leave requests.
Board members expressed their gratitude to the union for understanding the county’s funding limitations.
They also reacted to what they said was misinformation about the negotiations process.
“This process was almost derailed by comments made publicly by the sheriff, saying that this wasn’t going to happen,” said Board Chair Rob Brown.
Brown was referring to comments made on a local radio show by Sheriff Frank Rivero several weeks ago as the negotiations process was winding down.
“I feel very proud of our employees for sticking by us and working with us because this was a tough year for everyone,” Brown said.
He attended the correctional officers’ association meeting on the same night that they ratified the agreement; he was invited in to meet with them after the vote.
The group’s only questions for him related to what they could do to help the county, he said, noting that the group was a partner, not an adversary, in the negotiations.
“I appreciate their maturity in this whole process,” he said. “They’re definitely committed to the betterment of Lake County.”
Supervisor Denise Rushing thanked the correctional officers. “Our board prides itself on its relationship with employees and this has been a really tough year for everybody.”
Supervisor Jeff Smith said the correctional officers have stuck with the county through tough times. While the county had wanted to be able to give increases and cost of living adjustments, “It's just tough to do in this economy.”
Smith offered the resolution, which the board accepted in a 5-0 vote.
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