Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: FEBRUARY 7, 2023
TO: CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR AGENCY
SUBMITTED BY: ERIC LEVITT, City Manager
PREPARED BY: EDDIE MANFRO, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
SUBJECT: TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF FULLERTON AND THE FULLERTON FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION
SUMMARY
Proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the City of Fullerton and the Fullerton Firefighters’ Association (FFA) reflecting tentative agreement on wages, hours and working conditions for City Council consideration.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt Resolution No. 2023-XXX
RESOLUTION NO. 2023-XXX - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FULLERTON, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE FULLERTON FIREFIGHTERS’ ASSOCIATION DATED JANUARY 7, 2023 AND SUPERSEDE RESOLUTION NO. 2022-033 IN ITS ENTIRETY
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
The City Manager recommends approval of the proposed Memorandum of Agreement. While this will place additional pressure on the City financially, the City Manager believes that bringing the Fire Fighter salaries closer to alignment with the region will help to stabilize the staffing going into the future. This proposal will remain more cost effective for the City compared to the OCFA proposal.
The City Manager believes it balances bringing fire fighter pay closer to the median in the region while at the same time providing an opportunity for the City to begin to address certain PERS provisions.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statements:
Fiscal and Organizational Stability
Public Safety.
FISCAL IMPACT
The following summarizes the fiscal impact of the proposed agreement:
Fiscal Year
Amount
2022-23
$536,244
2023-24
$1,867,125
2024-25
$2,832,330
2025-26
$3,321,443
2026-27
$3,849,790
Total
$12,406,932
The financial impact for Fiscal Year 2022 – 2023 would total approximately $536,000. Staff anticipates adequate funding available the Fire Department budget to absorb the Fiscal Year 2022-23 fiscal impacts due to savings based on current vacancies and may not request a budget transfer this year. Staff will incorporate subsequent fiscal impacts when developing future budgets.
DISCUSSION
The FFA represents approximately 80 employees in sworn Fire Suppression classifications and nonsworn Fire Prevention classifications. The current MOA with this unit does not expire until June 30, 2023. Staff received a request to reopen negotiations with the FFA prior to the normal timeframe for negotiating a successor MOA after evaluation of the Orange County Fire Authority proposal. That labor negotiation process produced the proposed agreement presented for City Council consideration.
The redline attachment reflects the specific changes to the agreement. New language is shown in bold print and deleted language is shown in strikeouts. The following summarizes the significant changes in the MOA:
ARTICLE # PROVISION
7 The term of the Agreement shall be from January 7, 2023 through June 30, 2027. 19 (A) Across the board base salary increases for all salary ranges within the unit as follows:
8% effective the first full pay period after January 1, 2023. 4% effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2023. 4% effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2024. 3% effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2025. 3% effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2026. (B) The addition of a new 7th step to the salary ranges for Fire Engineer and Fire Captain placed 5% above the current step 6 effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2024.
The addition of a new 8th step for Fire Captain placed at 5% above step 7 effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2025. 20 (A) Paramedic Pay – effective January 7, 2023, an increase of 1.5% for Level 2 Paramedic Pay, for a total of 15% of base pay. (F) Longevity Pay – 3% effective January 7, 2023, for members beginning their 6th year of City service. This amount will increase to 6% effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2024. 26 (B) Effective the first full pay period after July 1, 2026, the City paid contribution toward the Employer Paid Member Contribution will be decreased by 6%, with 6% of the normal member contribution to be paid by the employee. (C) Concurrently, the employee cost share shall be reduced by 6%. 42 (C) Modification to staffing requirements to allow for Paramedic Engines 3 and 4 to be staffed with three personnel if vacancies for Firefighter, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain collectively reach 10% or greater.
The proposed agreement includes amendments to reflect prior changes or outdated provisions, clarified language, reference corrections and/or formatting changes.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – PowerPoint Presentation
Attachment 2– Draft Resolution 2023-XXX
Attachment 3 – Tentative FFA Agreement - redline version Tentative Agreement with Fullerton Firefighters’ Association February 7, 2023 - Page 2