Bitter salary feuds are taking a toll

Tariq Malik

HUNTINGTON BEACH -- Some Surf City officials and police officers are

left with frustration after six months without a firm salary contract in

place.

The fact comes as no surprise in a feud that has spanned more than a

decade.

The most recent wage agreement, which is still in effect pending the

ongoing talks, expired in September, about three months into contract

negotiations and about 10 days after both sides were at a standstill.

Since then, the two groups have met on their own and with a state

mediator to work toward resolution, though it has yet to be reached. A

quick fix, however, is elusive, and union officials have pointed out that

the last time the city and its officers hammered out salary talks on

their own was 11 years ago. A mediated agreement was reached during the

last wage discussions in 1998.

“We had thought then that all the years of battling and fighting were

over,” said Russell Reinhart, president of the Huntington Beach Police

Officers’ Assn. and 14-year officer for the city.

There are about 215 officers, including detention officers and

dispatchers, in the police union, many backed a binding arbitration

process, where state officials would make the final decision, at the most

recent meeting. Depending on their classification, officer salaries range

between $30,804 and $58,272, not including overtime.

Union officials claim the current pay schedule sets them near the

bottom of the pay scale when compared to police departments across Orange

County.

Senior Officer Gil Coerper, a 36-year department veteran and longtime

resident who ran for City Council last November, said officer angst is

nothing new, with roots dating back years.

In 1991, the city went through lengthy negotiations to settle on a

contract, and the council and union butted heads again in 1996 when

officers criticized then-Mayor Dave Sullivan and then-Councilman Tom

Harman for allegedly cutting safety services.

In 1998 salary talks, officers camped out in front of City Hall. Even

when a final contract was reached, some officers called it “a bitter pill

to swallow.” Salary negotiating tactics, Coerper said, have left officer

morale at an all-time low.”I think the damage has already been done and

it’s going to take a long time to repair,” he added. “The officers, more

than just the money, feel blatantly unappreciated and not respected at

all by City Council.”

Some council members, however disagree, stressing their appreciation

for the hard work and dedication from officers.

“We love them all,” said Councilman Ralph Bauer. “We want this process

to work like it has for all employees.”

“My personal opinion is that we owe a debt of gratitude to our

officers for 25 years of protecting the city,” said Councilman Dave

Garofalo.

Unlike typical unions, Reinhart stressed, police officers cannot

strike.

“Our only option is to quit and work someplace else,” he said, adding

that many officers are unwilling to start over at a new location after

investing years in this community.

While the spirits of city police officers may be downcast after months

without a resolution, the city has also suffered its share of stress.

“We certainly want to get an agreement under our belts,” said Bill

Workman, the city’s assistant city administrator who also sits on its

negotiating team. “Additionally, it’s quite a wearing process, both at

police department and the city levels, and we’re spending an

extraordinary amount of time on it.”

Garofalo said he believes it is the responsibility of the city to step

one inch closer to a settlement.

City officials and council members met on March 5 to go over the last

meeting with the union and the concerns that Reinhart and his fellow

officers had with a tentative wage agreement reached last month.

That agreement, which promised police officers a three-year contract

with an 11% increase the first year and a total of 5% each additional

year, was rejected by officers in a Feb. 15 meeting.

In addition to some changes to benefits, the deal also included an 18%

and 13% raise for dispatchers and detention officers, respectively,

throughout the course of the contract.

On Feb. 23, city officials met with their counterparts from the police

union to discuss why the deal failed.

City officials said the proposal would set Surf City officers among

the county’s third highest in salaries and benefits.

Reinhart said changes made in the agreement between the time it was

accepted to the ultimate vote -- like a proposed benefit cut for retirees

-- contributed to its demise.

The main goal now, Workman said, is to make sure the lines of

communication are kept open between both parties.