News: Public Safety faces cuts - Vallejo bankruptcy

VALLEJO -- A tentative labor agreement designed to keep Vallejo out of bankruptcy court calls for police and fire employees taking a 6.5 percent pay cut, the closure of two fire engine companies and fewer on-duty staff members.

The tentative agreement, reached Thursday and released Friday evening, is designed to close a $6 million general fund shortfall. It also provides for a one-year contract extension to 2011, but only if the two sides can work out a long-range fiscal plan by April 22.

"Execution of the agreement will allow the parties a short period of time to develop and begin implementing a plan that aligns revenue and expenditures in FY 2008-09 and beyond," City Manager Joe Tanner's report to the council says.

Under the tentative agreement, police and fire unions and the city would hire a mediator to assist with talks through April 22 on service reductions, revenues enhancements and labor agreement modifications.

The agreement goes before the City Council in a special meeting at 7 p.m. Monday.

If approved, the tentative agreement would then go to the fire and police unions' rank and file for ratification or rejection.

Fire union members are expected to vote on the agreement Wednesday and Thursday, said Kurt Henke, president of the International Association of Fire Fighters Local 1186.

Police union members will cast write-in ballots next weekend, said public safety attorney Alan Davis.

Besides the 6.5 percent salary rollback, police and fire would also forego a 1.5 percent increase due them through the remainder of this fiscal year.

The closure of the two fire engine companies would reduce fire staffing levels to 1985 levels.

"These are major concessions which are arguably going to have major impacts on public safety," Davis said.

The agreement also puts some restrictions on union business leave, and dismisses a variety of public safety grievances.

By reducing police minimum staffing levels, the agreement could halt the department arbitration proceedings over minimum staffing in their tracks. Arbitrator Tom Angelo has not yet rendered a decision.

Mayor Osby Davis told an overflow crowd at City Hall on Thursday that the tentative agreement calls for significant concessions from public safety employees, but is only a temporary fix to Vallejo's fiscal crisis.

The 11th hour deal reached Thursday afternoon postponed the council's evening decision on whether to file for bankruptcy.

Source: MercNews