Council to consider employee contracts

CALEXICO – The Calexico City Council tonight will consider approving two separate employment agreements with the city’s police officers and municipal workers unions.

Both of the proposed agreements differ slightly from the previously adopted agreements currently in place, while including some favorable terms.

If its memorandum of understanding is approved, Calexico Municipal Employees Union (CMEA) members stand to benefit from a $1,000 one-time signing bonus.

The three-year MOU would also replace a five-year letter of understanding that had included twice monthly furlough days, and instead require only two annual furlough days.

Under the proposed MOU, CMEA members are not required to make increased contributions to their medical insurance premiums and retirement benefits.

Nor does the proposed MOU provide the city’s remaining 40 CMEA members, down from about 150 members 10 years ago, merit increases, which are to be suspended for the duration of the MOU.

Cost of living increases are also excluded from the MOU, but parties have agreed to meet and confer over possible wage increases on an annual basis. If approved, the proposed MOU would be in effect until June 30, 2021.

In contrast, the proposed five-year letter of understanding between the city and the Calexico Police Officers Association does include a 2 percent cost of living increase for four of the five LOU’s years.

If approved, no costof-living adjustment is scheduled for the first year the agreement.

Most notably, the five-year LOU would halt the city’s further consideration of possibly contracting with the county Sheriff’s Office for police services, said CPOA President Sean Acuña in a previous interview.

The proposed LOU requires CPOA members pay for 20 percent of their medical insurance premiums, as well as a taking a 7.9 percent salary reduction.

The 7.9 percent salary reduction is nearly half of the 18.5 percent salary reduction the union had agreed to in a 2017 LOU. Parties had agreed the 7.9 percent salary reduction presented a balance with the increased health insurance premium contribution, Acuña had said.

The city continues it negotiations with the Calexico Firefighters Association, Certified Operators Association/ SEIU Local 221, Calexico Management Association and Calexico Supervisors Association.