AGENDA REPORT
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
DATE: 2/20/2019
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Administrative Services Department
SUBJECT:
Title
City Council Consideration of Side Letter Agreement with the Corona Firefighters Association.
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Recommended action
That the City Council approve the attached Side Letter of Agreement Modifying the 2018-2020 Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Corona and the Corona Firefighters Association.
Body
ANALYSIS:
After meeting and conferring in good faith, consistent with the requirements of the California Meyers-Millias-Brown-Act, the City and the Corona Firefighters Association (CFA) reached agreement for a successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) approved by the City Council on March 21, 2018. The MOU will expire on June 30, 2020.
During the successor MOU negotiations five special compensation pay items were converted from a percentage type pay to a flat dollar amount, while two special compensation pay items were converted to new position classifications. The new flat dollar amounts were based on unit average for each compensation type. The six compensation pay items that were converted to a flat dollar amount were HazMat Assignment Pay, Paramedic CQI Coordinator, Secondary Paramedic Pay, Secondary Paramedic Acting as Primary Paramedic, and Bilingual Pay. Primary Paramedic Pay of 12.5% and 40-Hour Assignment Pay of 15% were converted to new classifications.
The 2007-2017 MOU contained Section 13.2.1 for 40-Hour Assignment Pay that provided an additional 15% above base pay to CFA members working the positions of Firefighter, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain when those positions receive 40-hour per week assignments on a regular, probationary, or as a modified duty accommodation resulting from a work-related injury or illness. With the creation of the 40-hour classifications for the rank of Firefighter, Firefighter/Paramedic, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain, Section 13.2.1 40-Hour Assignment Pay was eliminated since it was no longer needed.
The 2007-2017 MOU also contained Section 13.1 for acting pay consisting of the classifications in existence at the time. Section 13.1 Acting Pay was updated to include Section 13.1.5 to incorporate the new 40-hour positions noted above. Section 13.1.5 was needed to ensure members would continue to be eligible to receive 40-hour work schedules on a temporary basis. A 12-week limitation was included in the section capping the number of weeks a CFA member may be assigned to an acting 40-hour assignment. Although the inclusion of the 12-week limitation works in certain situations, it has created unintended operational consequences and impairs employee compensation specific to modified duty accommodations resulting from a work-related injury or illness.
It is not possible to forecast a maximum number of weeks needed for modified duty accommodations as it would vary on a case-by-case basis. Modified duty accommodations are driven by medical necessity, business necessity, and budgetary constraints. By removing the 12-week limitation, the side letter agreement clarifies the intent of creating new classifications that will also provide the operational flexibility needed for members acting in 40-hour positions resulting from work-related modified duty accommodations. Since the primary intent during the successor MOU negotiations was to transition away from percentage based special compensation, City staff is supportive of the recommended elimination of the 12-week limitation for 40-hour assignments as it will address the unintended operational issues that have arisen.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
Not applicable.
STRATEGIC PLAN:
Not applicable.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Not applicable.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Environmental review is not required. The proposed actions are not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act.
PREPARED BY: EDELIA EVELAND, HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGER
REVIEWED BY: DEAN DERLETH, CITY ATTORNEY
REVIEWED BY: KERRY D. EDEN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER/ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DIRECTOR
REVIEWED BY: MICHELLE NISSEN, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: DARRELL TALBERT, CITY MANAGER
Attachments: Staff Report
Staff Report with Attachments