TO: HONORABLE MAYOR
AND CITY COUNCIL
FROM: Aram Kouyoumdjian
SUBJECT: See Below DATE: June 5, 2026
Approved
Date:
6/5/2026
COUNCIL DISTRICT: Citywide
SUBJECT: Approval of the Terms of an Agreement with the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP), for the Term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a resolution approving the terms of a collective bargaining agreement between the City and the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP) for the term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, and authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with those terms.
SUMMARY AND OUTCOME
Adoption of the resolution will result in a collective bargaining agreement between the City and ALP and authorize the City Manager to execute an agreement with a term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, with those terms.
BACKGROUND
ALP currently represents approximately 48 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions in the City Attorney’s Office. This unit includes job classifications such as Deputy City Attorney, Senior Deputy City Attorney, Associate Deputy City Attorney, Senior Legal Analyst, and Legal Services Manager.
In May 2026, negotiations with ALP on a successor agreement commenced, and on June 4, 2026, the City and ALP reached an overall Tentative Agreement on the terms to be contained in the successor Memorandum of Agreement between the City and ALP.
COUNCIL AGENDA: 6/16/26
FILE: 26-721
ITEM: 3.7
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
June 5, 2026
Subject: Approval of the Terms of an Agreement with the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP), for the Term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
The Tentative Agreement is pending ratification by ALP membership. ALP will notify the City of the ratification results prior to the June 16, 2026, City Council meeting.
ANALYSIS
A complete copy of the Tentative Agreement is attached. The following is a summary of the key provisions of the Tentative Agreement.
Term
July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
One-Time Non-
Pensionable Lump
Sum Payment
Effective the second full pay period of Fiscal Year 2026- 2027 following union ratification and Council approval in open session, all full-time employees holding positions assigned to ALP shall receive a one-time non-pensionable lump sum payment equivalent to 1.00% of their base
annual wages. To receive this lump sum payment the
employee (1) must have been employed by the City on
June 21, 2026, and (2) must have been continuously
employed through the date the payment is made.
Pensionable
General Wage
Increase
Fiscal Year 2026-2027
Effective June 21, 2026, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to ALP will receive a pensionable base pay increase of approximately
3.00%. This will result in both the top and bottom of the pay range being increased by approximately 3.00%.
Fiscal Year 2027-2028
Effective the first full pay period of Fiscal Year 2027-2028, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in
classifications assigned to ALP will receive a pensionable base pay increase of approximately 3.00%. This will result in both the top and bottom of the pay range being
increased by approximately 3.00%.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
June 5, 2026
Subject: Approval of the Terms of an Agreement with the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP), for the Term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
Pensionable
General Wage
Increase
(Continued)
Fiscal Year 2028-2029
Effective the first full pay period of Fiscal Year 2028-2029, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in
classifications assigned to ALP will receive a pensionable base pay increase of approximately 3.00%. This will result in both the top and bottom of the pay range being
increased by approximately 3.00%.
Executive Leave The City Attorney shall administer executive leave, including details related to the use of the four-hour rule, in accordance with the City’s Executive Leave and Absence
Policy.
Vacation Sellback
Beginning calendar year 2027, employees may sell back
up to a maximum of eighty (80) hours of accrued vacation per calendar year. This is an increase from the current maximum of seventy (70) hours of accrued vacation per
calendar year.
Side Letter – Leaves
of Absence
The parties agree to amend the City’s Leaves of Absence Policy to allow employees who are receiving Workers’
Compensation temporary disability benefits to elect to use any accrued leave balances during the period of receipt of wage replacement benefits. The current policy requires
leave balances to be used in a specific order.
Side Letter –
Voluntary Furlough
Full-time employees shall be eligible to voluntarily take up to 40 hours of unpaid leave each Fiscal Year, all of which must be used consecutively and in the same work week,
subject to advance approval of the Department Director or their designee.
Side Letter – Flexibly
Staffed Classes
The parties agree to amend the City’s Flexibly Staffed
Classes Policy to allow employees to initiate the process for qualifying promotions and add a review process through the Human Resources Department if qualifying promotion
assessments are delayed or denied.
Side Letter – Artificial
Intelligence
The parties agree to amend the City’s Artificial Intelligence Policy to allow the use of AI as a tool that employees may use in the performance of their duties, while remaining ultimately responsible for the accuracy and caliber of their work; to expressly require human oversight of human
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
June 5, 2026
Subject: Approval of the Terms of an Agreement with the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP), for the Term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
Side Letter – Artificial
Intelligence
(Continued)
resources functions, such as hiring, evaluations, or
discipline; and to consider training, upskilling, re-skilling, and reassignment options to mitigate AI impacts on jobs.
The parties further agree to labor-management meetings
with the Director of Information Technology (or designee) and with the Human Resources Department on the topics
of AI and technology.
EVALUATION AND FOLLOW-UP
No additional follow-up action with the City Council is expected at this time.
FISCAL IMPACTS
In Fiscal Year 2026-2027, the ongoing cost of the 3.00% pensionable general wage increase is approximately $311,000 in all funds, of which approximately $226,000 is in the General Fund. The ongoing cost of the increase in vacation sell back is approximately $8,000, of which approximately $7,800 is in the General Fund. The ongoing costs will be factored into the annual development of the Base Budget. The cost of the one-time non-pensionable lump sum payment is approximately $95,000, of which approximately $69,000 is in the General Fund. The costs in 2026-2027 will be offset by a recommended decrease to the Salaries and Benefits Reserve and other adjustments, as necessary, as part of budget actions that will be brought forward for City Council consideration as part of the 2025-2026 Annual Report. Costs associated with vacation sellback will continue to be absorbed by departmental personal services budgets to the extent possible.
In Fiscal Year 2027-2028, the ongoing cost of the 3.00% pensionable general wage increase is approximately $321,000 in all funds, of which $233,000 is in the General Fund. In Fiscal Year 2028-2029, the ongoing cost of the 3.00% general wage increase is approximately $330,000 in all funds, of which $240,000 is in the General Fund. These ongoing costs will be factored into the annual development of the Base Budget. Costs associated with vacation sellback for both of these years will continue to be absorbed by departmental personal services budgets to the extent possible.
COORDINATION
This memorandum was coordinated with the City Attorney’s Office and the City Manager’s Budget Office.
HONORABLE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
June 5, 2026
Subject: Approval of the Terms of an Agreement with the Association of Legal Professionals (ALP), for the Term of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029
PUBLIC OUTREACH
This memorandum will be posted on the City Council Agenda website for the June 16, 2026 City Council meeting.
BOARD, COMMISSION, COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION AND INPUT
No board, commission, or committee recommendation or input is associated with this action.
CEQA
Not a Project, File No. PP17-003, Agreements/Contracts (New or Amended) resulting in no physical changes to the environment.
PUBLIC SUBSIDY REPORTING
This item does not include a public subsidy as defined in section 53083 or 53083.1 of the California Government Code or the City’s Open Government Resolution.
Aram Kouyoumdjian
Director of City Manager’s Office of Employee Relations Director of Human Resources
For questions, please contact Hashona Braun, Senior Executive Analyst, City Manager’s Office of Employee Relations, at (408) 535-8152.
ATTACHMENT:
City of San José – ALP Negotiations Tentative Agreement