Part-time workers to receive `hero pay'

City Council votes to double bonuses for City Hall employees who worked during pandemic

San Bernardino leaders this week doubled the amount of premium salary, or “hero pay,” the city will give part-time employees for clocking into work during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those part-timers still at City Hall who started working there between March 13, 2020, and May 5, 2023, will now receive the same $5,000 being given to full-time employees.

A plan first approved by the City Council in July awarded part-time workers $2,500.

The change received unanimous support from City Council members on Wednesday.

“We have part-timers throughout our city government and we have people who are in our police department who are part-time who work shoulder-to-shoulder with people who make a little more, but they all went through COVID,” Councilmember Theodore Sanchez said ahead of the vote Wednesday. “I wouldn’t want to create toxicity in the workplace where these people have to work together and know there’s a friction of feeling underappreciated, or thought of less than a counterpart they work shoulder-toshoulder with.”

Approximately $5.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding will be used to reward about 800 full- and part-time city employees and another 300 or so with the Water Department for their service these past three years.

Councilmember Fred Shorett, who voted against the tiered payments in July, explained Wednesday he did so because he wanted every employee to be treated equally for working through the pandemic.

“Part-timers went through the COVID period just like full-timers did,” he said.

San Bernardino is one of several Inland cities to reward employees with such premium payments.

Colton, Murrieta, Ontario, Pomona, Rialto and Riverside all cut full-time workers a check. Some of those cities also rewarded part-time employees.