REPORT/RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OF THE SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
AND RECORD OF ACTION
August 20, 2019
FROM
GARY McBRIDE, Chief Executive Officer, County Administrative Office
DON TRAPP, Interim Fire Chief, San Bernardino County Fire Protection District
SUBJECT
Title
Memorandum of Understanding with the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC
End
RECOMMENDATION(S)
Recommendation
Acting as the governing body of the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District:
Approve the proposed Memorandum of Understanding between the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC, representing the employees in the Firefighters Unit, and San Bernardino County Fire Protection District effective October 12, 2019, through January 26, 2024.
(Presenter: Gary McBride, Chief Executive Officer, 387-5418)
Body
COUNTY AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Create, Maintain and Grow Jobs and Economic Value in the County.
Improve County Government Operations.
Operate in a Fiscally-Responsible and Business-Like Manner.
Ensure Development of a Well-Planned, Balanced, and Sustainable County.
FINANCIAL IMPACT
The total ongoing costs for this agreement are estimated to be as follows:
• $2.6 million in 2019-20 (partial year)
• $8.1 million in 2020-21
• $13.9 million in 2021-22
• $19.4 million in 2022-23
• $22.1 million in 2023-24
The total estimated cost of this agreement commencing on October 12, 2019, and continuing through the end of fiscal year 2023-24 is $66.1 million. A separate Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the County of San Bernardino (County) and the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District (County Fire), which is approved annually (the most recent of which occurred on June 11, 2019 - Item No. 114), specifies the amount that the County shall compensate County Fire for the cost of providing fire protection and emergency medical services as requested by the County. Since this agreement with the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC (Union) will increase County Fire’s cost of service, future revisions to this separate MOU may be considered that could result in the need for additional Discretionary General Funding (Net County Cost).
Recommendations regarding the necessary budget adjustments for this item are not requested at this time, but will be included on a future quarterly countywide budget report presented to the Board of Directors for approval.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Representatives of County Fire, under direction of the Board of Directors, met and conferred with representatives of the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC (Union) in an attempt to reach a successor labor agreement covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees in the Firefighters Unit. This will be the first labor agreement that includes the Fire Suppression Aide II and Fire Suppression Aide III classifications that were added to the Firefighters Unit on July 11, 2017 (Item No. 44).
The proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) includes the following:
• Provides a 3% across-the-board wage increase effective October 12, 2019; and, subject to certain agreed-upon requirements, a 2.5% across-the-board wage increase effective October 10, 2020; a 3% across-the-board wage increase effective October 9, 2021; a 3% across-the-board wage increase effective October 8, 2022.
• Restructures the Firefighter EMT, Firefighter Paramedic, Engineer, and Captains salary ranges.
• Modifies certain differentials and return-to-work compensation including changes to Paramedic Pay, Company Officer Certification Pay, Crew Foreman Certification Differential, and On-Call Compensation.
• Modifies the Overtime article such that sick leave used by employees on leave restriction plans will not be considered as time actually worked for the purposes of calculating overtime.
• Provides a 5% increase to the sick leave cash-out formula effective October 12, 2019, and an increase to the County contribution to the retirement medical trust effective October 9, 2021.
• Increases the Medical Premium Subsidy for all unit employees at all coverage levels effective Benefit Plan Years 20/21, 21/22, and 22/23.
• Establishes a $10/pay period Flexible Spending Account match for all employees who select the Blue Shield Access + HMO Plan or Kaiser Choice HMO Plan effective October 12, 2019.
• Establishes that all unit employees shall be automatically enrolled in the County’s deferred compensation plan with a 1% employee contribution unless the employee declines participation within 30 days.
• Provides a $10/month increase to the Long-Term Disability Plan, effective October 12, 2019.
The Union notified the County that the Firefighters Unit ratified the proposed MOU. Therefore, the proposed MOU will, if approved, constitute a successor labor agreement between County Fire and the Union covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment through January 26, 2024.
PROCUREMENT
N/A.
REVIEW BY OTHERS
This item has been reviewed by County Counsel (Carol Greene, Supervising Deputy County Counsel, 387- 5455) on August 13, 2019; Labor Relations (Bob Windle, County Labor Relations Chief, 387-3101) on August 9, 2019; Finance (Tom Forster, Administrative Analyst, 387-4635) on August 13, 2019; and County Finance and Administration (Katrina Turturro, Deputy Executive Officer, 387-5423) on August 13, 2019.