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Home My WebLink About1971-03-16; City Council; 377; Employer-Employee Relations Resolution' T •K E C I T F O F C A R L S B A D, C A L I F* O R N I A �!77 , Date: March 16, 197-1 Agenda Bill No. I�-'-�- _- Referred To: Subject: Submitted By: �. Employer -Employee Relations Resolution City Manager Statement of the Matter The Carlsbad f olice,Officers Association has requested formal recognition as a bargaining agent for Carlsbad Police Officers. To date the City has observed -the provisions of Meyers-Milias-Brown Act as amended in conduct; ing salary and other negotiations. However, this procedure has been done on an informal basis since we have not had a request for formal recogni- tion by any employee group. Since the Police Officers' Association has asked for formal recognition, '+ it is necessary to adopt an employer -employee relations resolution in order to set forth guidelines for recognition of bargaining agents for City employees. Exhibit Letter from Carlsbad Police Officers' Association. (3-8-71) Staff Recommendations —_A As No. Date: March 16, 1971 3 I City Manager's Recommendation Instruct staff to draft an employer -employee relations resolution for i consideration by the City Council. If this suggestion is accepted by 1 the City Council, the City Manager will notify the Carlsbad Police Officers' Association that they may participate in our present infor- mal negotiations do salaries and fringe benefits but that formal recog- nition will be deferred pending approval by the City Council of an ems ployer-employee relations resolution. G 1 i t Council Action a 3-16-71 Council instructed staff to draft Resolution for.ially recogni"zi•ng the Carlsbad Police Officers Association as a bargaining agent. i -2- t /\ A n T fJ _n A it 'n T T !I V A 4 F T n 2 O S' A S S 0 C 1 A T T 0 N i v era u u v u n- r v as i v u v� +. v : March 8, 1971 Jack Arnold, City Manager City of Carlsbad 1200 Elm Avenue Carlsbad, California 92008 Dear Mr. Arnold: Thie is to advise you that at our meeting of the Carlsbad i Police Officers' Association on March 3, 1971, the motion was wade and passed that we withdraw our membership with the City of Carlsbad Employees' Association. It was also agreed that any members desiring to continue their member- ship with the City of Carlsbad Employees' Association may do so. In withdrawing our membership, it is hereby requested the Carlsbad Police Officers' Association be recognized as a separate Association and thereby avail us the right of bargaining with the City of Carlsbad. Your consideration is also requested in allowing the Finance Department to deduct our monthly dues each month as has been done in the past for the City Employeest Association. Your consideration in these matters is appreciated. SincerA"dent l CARLSBAD POLICE OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION hhc/div 0 March 26, 1970 Mr. Windor S. Priday City Manager City Hall Carlsbad, California Dear Mr. Priday: Carlsbad: is one of the smaller cities and yet the most rapidly growing cities in San Diego County. Along with this growth comes the .nany, related r .)cial problems, one of the most serious of which is crime, in all its various fours. We do not pretend to know what the answer to this problem is since, obviously, no single answer exists. We propose to take one very vital step toward an overall solution by submitting a request to the establishment of well -trained, adequately compensated and career -minded law enforcement department in the City of Carlsbad. Until now, salary adjustments and benefits for our police officers have been made periodically on an ad hoe basis, generally reflecting the press of c6st-of-living increases and_attempted comparisions with nearby cities and counties. These salary adjustments reflect in part past cost -of -living increases and do not provide for the present cost -of -living increases that beset us on all sides. A careful study made by the Peace Officers Research Association of California along with other -police associations reveals that the time is long past due for a candid recognition of the problems in recruitment and retention of personnel, and the need for developing a more professional and better trained law enforcement officer. These needs have created a request to an approach to salaries and certain related benefits to give impetus to their solution. 1. Promotional opportunities are limited (less than 5% reach top management positions). These opportunities in the typical police department are 50% or less of what they are in -the typical fire department "parity" between the two departments, it 'results in an actual saiary discrimination against policemen because of the differing number - of promotional positions. Comparing the above to other civilian opportunities, law enforcement does not present significant opportunity for advancement into higher pay- ing and other endeavors. 2. 97he present salary system in virtually all police departments, with some occasional but relatively insignificant variations, stops salary advancements apart from cost - of -living annual adjustments after about three years of service in the basic rank. With limited promotional opportunities, many can look forward to no economic advance- ment after three years, although their experience worth is still climbin . -2- In many cities, police salaries are tied to the salaries of other municipal employees, most often those of firemen. This practice often aggrieves both policemen and fire- men, and sometimes provokes hot debates about which kind of public servant has the more arduous or perilous job and should, therefore, be the better paid. Not wishing +o become involved in another dispute, at this time, it is felt that identical pay scales for employees with widely differing functions are unfair and unwise, and it is recommended that salary proposals for each department within local government should be considered on their own merits and should not be joined with the demands of other departments within our City. Governor Reagan has stated in a booklet entitled, "Td Keep dur People Safe and Free" that, harassment, tough working conditions and low pay are making it difficult to re- cruit qualified persons to serve as lawmen. To locate and employ the types of people wno musi'be attracted io -ponce woric, careers in i-aw-enror`dement mu`si De professional status. Mor-% advantages are needed in terms of compensation, benefits, opportunities for advancement and job satisfaction. A certification payment program, in addition, should be made to the policeman in addition to his regular salary thus enhancing a greater advantage remaining in law enforcement in addition to upgrading his educational credits in his chosen field. The absolute decision to remain in local law enforcement is made by a lawman when he attains the age of 35 years, because unlike any other profession, outside of firemen, a lawman cannot transfer, to another law enforcement agency, unless he is striving for the head of a law department, consequently, he remains in his own agency working to better himself in his field through experience and educational training programs thus furthering his professional status and receiving proper recognition through compensa- tion and promotion within his department. The time is upon us when city government must give adequate compensation and a renewed evaluation of the "professionalization of law enforcement" and the standards we are required to maintain. By upgrading salaries and opportunities for advancement, we can attract the .best men available. Further consideration should be given to compensation of legal holidays whereas dis- crimination has been made against the officers who have worked their full shifts dur- ing the week of the holiday but due to the revolving shifts are off duty that particular holiday and unlike the other city departments who are compensated for the holiday even when it falls on a weekend and the departments are closed. I. E. legal holiday on a Sunday, City, County and Federal agencies are closed on the following Monday. In the State of California, most law enforcement officers work a basic 250 days, 2000 hours or to be exact 2080 hours (40 hours X 52 weeks) including vacation time. The field officers, in this department, work 273 days, 2184 hours (168 hours per 28 days X 13 periods=364 days) including vacation time, which, in turn, approximates working 12 days or 96 hours with no compensation. We feel that recognition should be given, tothis inequitable situation along with a promotional expansion program, certification payment program and a greater cost -of -living salary increase. Respectfully submitted, N. D. Whipple, Vice President Carlsbad Police Officers Association NDW/gl 1970 T. i The Carlsbad -Police Officers Association respectfully requests'that the Carlsbad City Council be made cognizant of this letter, so that we may be able to arrange for --a representative meeting to pursue the contents therein, if they so desire. Yours, .� N. D. Whipple Carlsbad Police Officers Association NDW/gl