Devereaux Persuades Firefighters Union To Ink Four Year Labor Contract

San Bernardino County Chief Executive Officer Greg Devereaux has secured a four-year labor agreement with the union representing the county’s firefighters.
In a report to the county board of supervisors from Devereaux and county fire chief Mark Hartwig dated October 6, it is stated that “Representatives of county fire, under direction of the board of directors, met and conferred with representatives of the San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC in an attempt to reach a successor labor agreement covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment for employees in the firefighters unit. The proposed memorandum of understanding (MOU) includes the following:
• Restructure the salary schedule for all classifications in this unit effective October 17,
2015;
• Establish a $200 monthly paramedic stipend effective October 17, 2015;
• Provide a two percent across-the-board wage increase effective October 15, 2016, a two percent  across-the-board wage increase effective October 14, 2017, and a two percent  across-the-board wage increase effective October 13, 2018; and
• Establish a $50 monthly company officer certification differential effective October 14, 2017, and increase the differential to $100 per month effective October 13, 2018.”
According to Deveraux and Hartwig, “The union notified the county that the firefighters unit ratified the proposed memorandum of understanding. Therefore, the proposed memorandum of understanding will, if approved, constitute a successor labor agreement between county fire and the union covering wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment through October 11, 2019.”
According to Devereaux “The total increased ongoing costs for this agreement are estimated to be $1.7 million in 2015-16 (partial year funding) of which $718,402 is estimated discretionary general funding (net county cost), $3.4 million in 2016-17 of which $910,228 is estimated discretionary general funding (net county cost), $4.9 million in 2017-18 of which $1.1 million is estimated discretionary general funding (net county cost), and $6.4 million in 2018-19 of which $979,421 is discretionary general funding (net county cost). The total cost for the four year period of this agreement is estimated at $16.5 million. Estimates of the use of discretionary general funding (net county cost) are based on the fire protection district’s cash flows and revenue projections through 2018-19.”
San Bernardino County currently employs 385 firefighters. Through the San Berrnardino County Local Formation Commission, applications are being processed to have the county fire division take over operation of the San Bernardino municipal fire department and the fire department in Twentynine Palms, which is currently operated by the water district there. Upon those takeovers, the firefighters with those agencies will become county employees and members of San Bernardino County Professional Firefighters, IAFF, Local 935, AFL-CIO, CLC . At present the city of San Bernardino employs 38 firefighters, who receive pay and benefits superior to those provided to county firefighters. There are five firefighters with the Twentynine Palms Fire Department. They are compensated at a scale below that provided to county firefighters.

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