Agenda

Return

D.3

To:	Contra Costa County Fire Protection District Board of Directors
From:	Monica Nino, County Administrator
Date:	August 25, 2023

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Memorandum of Understanding between CCC Fire Protection District and United Chief Officers Association (UCOA)

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 08/25/2023

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Ken Carlson, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

David Sanford, Chief of Labor Relations (925-655-2070)

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: August 25, 2023
,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

ADOPT Resolution No. 2023/411 approving the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and United Chief Officers Association (UCOA) implementing negotiated wage agreements and other economic terms and conditions of employment beginning July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2027.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The estimated yearly increase in salary costs of the negotiated contract is $384,000 for 2023/24; $326,000 for FY 2024/25; $342,000 for FY 2025/26 and $360,000 for FY 2026/27. Rolling in the 5% Emergency Recall and Standby differential into base pay will increase benefit costs in the amount of approximately $360,000 over the four year contract term. The 2.5% differential for the Chief of Emergency Medical Services will cost approximately $8,800 per year. The increases in vacation leave and sick leave may have an incidental cost depending on the amount of backfilling. The vacation buyback benefit's cost is dependent on usage.

BACKGROUND:

United Chief Officers Association (UCOA) began bargaining with Contra Costa County Fire Protection District on April 17, 2023. An agreement was reached on August 14, 2023 and ratified by the Association on August 16, 2023.

BACKGROUND: (CONT'D)

The resulting Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which is attached, includes modifications to the bargaining unit, wages and other benefit changes. In summary, those changes are as follows:

Term (Section 35.4)
- The term of the agreement is July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2027.
Salaries (Section 5.1)
- Effective August 1, 2023, base rate of pay will be increased by 6.25%.
- Effective July 1, 2024, base rate of pay will be increased by 5%.
- Effective July 1, 2025, base rate of pay will be increased by 5%.
- Effective July 1, 2026, base rate of pay will be increased by 5%.
Management Complaint Procedure (Section 19)
- Replaces Adjustment Board with Mediation.
Payment (Section 5.14)
- Employees can elect to receive an advance online using Employee Self Service during specified timeframes.
Seniority Credits (Section 16.5)
- Strikes reference to education credits.
Educational Inventive Program (Section 26.4)
- Modified language to remove redundant language and process.
Vacation Leave (Section 10.5)
- Increases accrual rates for 56 hour employees in existing service tiers and creates new lower service tiers.
Sick Leave (Section 11)
- Increases accrual rates for 56 hour employees from 12 hours per month to 15 hours per month.
Extended Coverage (Section 14.10)
- Specified that late payment shall result in cancellation of health plan coverage for employees on an approved leave of absence without pay.
Emergency Recall and Standby (Section 26.8)
- Eliminates the existing 5% differential by rolling it into base pay for all classifications represented by UCOA.
Chief, Fire Emergency Medical Services Differential
- Creates a 2.5% differential for the possession and maintenance of a valid State of California Emergency Medical Technician - Paramedic license.
Re-ordered, re-numbered, and cleaned-up MOU sections as needed.

Historically, changes to the pay and benefits of the unrepresented management employees of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District have been approved at the same time as increases for UCOA. Because compensation for local agency executives cannot be considered at a special meeting, proposed changes for unrepresented fire management will be considered at the regularly scheduled Board of Supervisors meeting on September 12, 2023 with a proposed effective date of August 1, 2023.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

Employees will be without a contract which may cause labor issues.