No Raise, But More Money for Members
Chuck Alexander, president of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association
The latest tentative labor agreement with California’s correctional officers proves that there’s more than one way to boost employee compensation without calling it a “raise.”
Via The Sacramento Bee:
While the new contract proposal for the 29,000 members of the California Correctional Peace Officers Association contains modest salary bumps, other provisions put more money in their pockets now and later by changing everything from fitness pay rules to making some paid leave count toward the threshold for overtime.
According to a report by Jon Ortiz for the Sacramento Bee, salaries for union members last year totaled about $2.1 billion, not including another $350 million for overtime, leave cashouts and other special payments, according to data from the State Controller’s Office.
An analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office figures that, if approved, the contract would incrementally add annual costs that top out at $588 million in fiscal 2018-19.
About half that sum, $316.8 million, would come from raises. The pay increases are spread over three years, for a cumulative raise of 9.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the members would begin contributing to a retiree benefits trust fund. Those contributions would increase incrementally to 4 percent of pay beginning in 2018-19. The state would match payments into the fund.
Add the raises, take out the retiree health contributions and the officers get a net 5.3 percent raise at the end of the deal.
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