Negotiations Between Police, City Stall
Contract negotiations between Santa Paula police officers and city officials have stalled, both sides said Friday.
Negotiators are scheduled to meet Tuesday to try one last time to reach an agreement before calling in a mediator. But a police representative said it doesn’t appear likely that they will break the impasse any time soon.
Santa Paula Police Sgt. Steven Carter, a negotiator for the Santa Paula Police Officers Assn., called the upcoming meeting another “stall tactic” by the city.
But the city’s chief negotiator, Julie C.T. Hernandez, said, “The city is interested in concluding the contract negotiations as quickly as possible.”
The 28 members of the police association have been without a contract for 18 months. They are seeking a 4% pay raise and the city is offering 2%.
Officers also want more protections against random drug searches by the city, and they want to choose their own psychologist for mental health evaluations.
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