Watchdog: Antioch Council set to give 13% pay raises, more to city staff tonight

Watchdog LogoBy Barbara Zivica

Antioch residents, upset regarding continuing high crime statistics which supposedly were to be addressed by Measure C (a half cent sales tax increase) but weren’t, just passed Measure O, a business license tax measure which applies to all rental units and whose revenues, like Measure C, go directly into the General Fund and can be used for multiple purposes. In light of previously negotiated increases for sworn personnel and no sizable increase in the police force, does it sound a bit like the old shill game of paper, rock and scissors?

Thought you might be interested in Council’s resolution approving a Benefit Document between the City and the Management Bargaining Unit (term October 1, 2013 to Sept. 30, 2016) to be voted on at their meeting on Thursday, November 13. Here are some of the highlights:

Effective the first full pay period in January 2015, all classifications shall receive a 3% salary increase, which will match the salary increase provided to Operating Engineers Local 3 and Public Employees Union Local 1 in 2014. Excluded are classifications of Water Treatment Plant Superintendent, Water Treatment Plant Supervisor and Water Quality Analyst who already received the adjustment.
Effective January 2011, 2015, the current 36 hour work week/10% salary reduction is eliminated and all employees in the Unit will return to a 40 hour work week. The action was required based on “trigger” language in the 1/11/2011 Tentative Agreement of General Fund revenues (excluding new revenues such as Measure C)

Effective upon ratification, the second “trigger”, a component of the January 2011 Tentative Agreement is eliminated, which eliminates the reinstatement of previously negotiated but not implemented COLA salary adjustments.

Effective January 11, 2015 the City’s deferred compensation contribution is reinstated (prospectively).
“Me too” Clause agreement, meaning increases or decreases negotiated with either Local 1 or OE3 will be implemented for this Unit.

During the first full pay period in January 2015, increase the Employees’ contribution to the Employee’s share of the PERS rate by 1% and increase the employees contribution to the Employer’s share of the PERS rate by 1%.

This keeps the total Employee contribution at 8% for Classic/Legacy employees but all on the Employer contribution side. PEPRA covered employees hired on or after 2013 shall be required to pay 50% of Normal Cost as required by statue.

NOTE: The annual fiscal impact of the COLA salary adjustment returning to a 40 hour work week and reinstating the deferred compensation contribution is $631,867. Of this amount, $441,640 is General Fund money for both the Management Bargaining Unit and Confidential Employees Unit.

The City provides two floating holidays per year in addition to the usual 12 holidays off. Twelve Tier I management employees will receive 96 hours of administrative leave, 10 Tier 2 employees ten hours of administrative leave and 15 Tier 3 management employees will receive 40 hours of management leave.

Executive Management employees will also be allowed to cash out up to 80 hours of their annual vacation accrual during each calendar year and Senior and Mid Management Profession employees will be allowed to cash out up to 40 hours of their annual vacation accrual during each calendar year.

Elected Officials and, with the City Manager’s approval, all Executive Management employees, except those positions who are assigned a City vehicle, shall receive a monthly auto allowance, Those who do not receive a car allowance shall receive reimbursement at the rate established by the Administrative Memo which also outlines the process for employee reimbursement for books and tuition up to a maximum of $1,000 a year for approved college classes.

How do you feel about your vote for approval of Measure C and Measure O now?


3 Comments to “Watchdog: Antioch Council set to give 13% pay raises, more to city staff tonight”

  1. Rich says:

    Yep, the showdown is tonight, 11/13/2014 @ 7:00 pm at the City Council chambers. I vehemently opposed the City Council even having this on the agenda when it is well know and self-admitted that we, as a city, will be in dire straights in 2017, as early as 2016. Knowing that our budget is stretched thin as is and losing and soon to be losing an annual contract of $845K in revenue, this is idiotic and self-serving to even consider increasing expenditures without knowing how solvent we will be in the next few years.

    I wholeheartedly support returning back to a 5 day regular business work week, but there are other ways to accomplish this without going to this extreme AND I also support the city personnel returning to work. However, this is NOT the time.

    I don;t want to hear lame excuses about triggers, etc. You passed up one, the remainder can get passed up also!

    • Marty Fernandez says:

      Well, Rich, we heard the lame excuses about “triggers” and a lame excuse why this vote could not have been held off one month to have a full council.

      We also heard Dawn Merchant state we were still in need of extending the Measure C sales tax hike for 7 more years when it has only been in effect 1 year. OR bankruptcy. Yes, after spending 3 and 1/2 million dollars we do not have last night we certainly are once again headed for bankruptcy.

  2. Julio says:

    They certainly gave away the farm. I will enjoy watching the ship sink.

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