COUNTY OF SAN MATEO

Inter-Departmental Correspondence

Employee and Public Services

 

DATE:

March 28, 2005

BOARD MEETING DATE:

April 12, 2005

SPECIAL NOTICE/HEARING:

None

VOTE REQUIRED:

Majority

 

TO:

Honorable Board of Supervisors

   

FROM:

Mary Welch, Employee and Public Services Director

   

SUBJECT:

Memorandum of Understanding with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA)

 

Recommendation

Adopt a resolution approving an amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA).

 

Vision Alignment

Commitment: responsive, effective and collaborative government

Goal 20: Government decisions are based on careful consideration of future impact, rather than temporary relief or immediate gain.

 

Background

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Deputy Sheriff’s Association (DSA) provides that either party may re-open the contract on up to two items in 2004. The DSA notified the County of its desire to bargain these reopeners in 2004 and two initial meetings were held in June and July of 2004. The DSA changed their bargaining representative and discussions reconvened in January of 2005. After several meetings, a tentative agreement was reached.

 

Discussion

The County concluded negotiations with DSA on March 9 and the DSA has notified us that their membership had ratified the County’s offer. The following summarizes the major elements in the Amendment to the Memorandum of Understanding:

    • Extend the current MOU by five years with a new expiration date of January 7, 2012.

    • The County will make all good faith efforts to implement a Retiree Health Savings Account that will allow employees to defer pre-tax contributions to pay for future retiree medical benefits.

    • Increase the monthly County contribution for each 8 hours of unused sick leave from $275 to $640 effective May 1, 2005 and to $675 effective January 1, 2006.

    • Each member of the bargaining unit will have an amount equal to one and six-tenths percent (1.6%) of salary deducted from their paycheck and credited to the County to offset the cost of the increased benefit.

    • For purposes of calculating eligibility for overtime, paid sick leave will not count as hours worked unless the overtime is mandatory.

    • For each of the remaining six years in the MOU, the annual salary increase for Correctional Officers will be one-half percent (0.5%) less than the increase for Deputy Sheriffs.

    • For Correctional Officers hired on or after April 24, 2005, a new salary structure will be established with a new beginning salary one step below the current “A” step and with a top step set at the current “D” step.

    • The uniform allowance will be increased from $650 annually to $825 annually effective January, 2006. In December, 2007 and 2009, a survey shall be conducted of the uniform allowances in the eight comparator counties and the allowance shall be adjusted to the average of those 8 counties in January, 2008 and 2010.

    • The DSA and the County will each have one non-economic reopener in 2008 and 2010.

 

Fiscal Impact

The cost of the retiree health change will depend on the number of Deputies who retire. Assuming an average of 21 Deputies retire each year for the next ten years, the total cost will be approximately $250,000 over the next ten years with the County realizing savings for Fiscal years 2005-06 and 2006-07.