TITLE
Adopt Resolution of Intent to approve an amendment of the contract between the Board of Administration of the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the City. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In accordance with instructions from the City Council, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreement has been reached with the Long Beach Police Officers Association (POA) bargaining unit. The POA represents approximately 875 sworn employees in ranks of Police Recruit through Lieutenant.
Since May 2019, City management and POA representatives have held 13 negotiation sessions regarding a new MOU. The current MOU expires September 30, 2019. A tentative agreement has been reached and jointly signed by representatives of the City and the POA. The POA has worked in partnership with the City to develop an agreement that allows the City to remain competitive in the areas of recruitment and retention. A comparison of Police Officer salaries in other local law enforcement agencies versus the City is provided for informational purposes (Attachment A).
The tentative agreement includes a phased-in approach for structural wage increases that are in part offset by having employees pay a portion of the City’s pension costs. The Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act (PEPRA) of 2013 and related changes to the Public Employees Retirement Law (PERL) allow cities to negotiate “cost-sharing” with their employee unions, which means employees agree to share in the cost of the employer contribution. The cost-share amounts are paid in addition to the member contribution rates and assist in curtailing the City’s growing pension expense. The mechanics of implementing the cost-sharing provisions are discussed further in this report.
The tentative agreement also contains key benefit enhancements such as a new paid parental leave program, one additional holiday, and modification of holiday and vacation accruals that enhance employees’ ability to balance work and personal li...
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