CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF Local 1171 (UNIT 1)
2025 NEGOTIATIONS
MEDIATION JOINT RECOMMENDATION**
City of Santa Clara
April 8, 2026
TERM
January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2029
WAGES
2026: 6.0% general wage increase effective the first full pay period after City Council approval. Effective the first full pay period after City Council approval, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to Unit 1 shall be increased by approximately 6.0%.
2027: 4.5% general wage increase effective calendar year 2027. Effective December 20, 2026 (the first pay period of calendar year 2027) , all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to Unit 1 shall be increased by approximately 4.5%.
2028: 3.5% general wage increase effective calendar year 2028. Effective the first pay period of calendar year 2028, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to Unit 1 shall be increased by approximately 3.5%.
2029: 3.5% general wage increase effective calendar year 2029. Effective the first pay period of calendar year 2029, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to Unit 1 shall be increased by approximately 3.5%.
The Total Compensation and Adjustment of Total Compensation sections shall remain suspended for the duration of the MOU.
See attached
LUMP SUM PAYMENT
$4,000 per employee; see attached
FIREFIGHTER I/II
See attached
PARAMEDIC PREMIUM PAY
See attached
40-HOUR ASSIGNMENT PAY
As proposed in the City’s Package Proposal B; see attached
LIFE INSURANCE
S ee attached
VISION INSURANCE
S ee attached
PERSONAL LEAVE
As proposed in the City’s Package Proposal A; see attached CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF Local 1171 (UNIT 1)
2025 NEGOTIATIONS
MEDIATION JOINT RECOMMENDATION**
City of Santa Clara
April 8, 2026
CTO PAYOUT
As proposed in the City’s Package Proposal A; see attached
OVERTIME
As proposed in the City’s Package Proposal A; see attached
VACATION
See attached
ASSISTANT TRAINING OFFICER GRIEVANCE
In settlement of this grievance:
1. The City will recruit for the Assistant Training Officer classification (Job Code 233) in accordance with the City’s Civil Service Rules, including but not limited to any currently applicable probationary periods.
Hiring decision remain at the sole discretion of the City.
2. Unit 1 agrees to withdraw the grievance.
SUPER BOWL LX GRIEVANCE
This settlement and release agreement is entered into between the City of Santa Clara (“City”) and IAFF Local 171 Santa Clara (“Unit 1”) and may be referred to as a Party or Parties.
Unit 1 submitted a grievance on or about February 12, 2026, alleging its members were entitled to double time for hours worked between February 1, 2026 and February 7, 2026 (“Grievance”). A grievance hearing was held on or about March 13, 2026.
The Parties acknowledge the City has entered into cost sharing agreements with the Stadium Authority and the Bay Area Host Committee concerning costs and expenses relating to the SBLX. The Parties acknowledge the City is subject to determinations of the Stadium Authority and Bay Area Host Committee and shall submit a claim for reimbursement of costs including but not limited to labor costs Unit 1 claims.
The Parties wish to resolve all disputes and claims concerning the Grievance. This settlement is a compromise of disputed claims and is not an admission by any Party of any liability. The City specifically denies any wrongdoing of any kind whatsoever and enters into this Agreement to avoid the further costs of litigation.
In settlement of the Grievance, the parties agree to the following:
1. The City shall pay employees the double time rate for hours worked for actual operations worked during the SBLX deployment period from February 1, 2026, through February 7, 2026. It should be noted employees have already been paid at the 1.5x rate for these hours and that the City will pay the additional 0.5x rate as part of this settlement.
2. Unit 1 agrees to withdraw the Grievance and release the City from all claims related to SBLX and accept the determination of the Stadium Authority and Bay Area Host Committee whether the City shall receive reimbursement for Unit 1’s claims.
CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF Local 1171 (UNIT 1)
2025 NEGOTIATIONS
MEDIATION JOINT RECOMMENDATION**
City of Santa Clara
April 8, 2026
HOUSEKEEPING
T
BD
**
THIS MEDIATION JOINT RECOMMENDATION IS SUBMITTED IN AN ATTEMPT TO REACH A SETTLEMENT ON A SUCCESSOR MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING. IN THE EVENT THE JOINT
MEDIATION RECOMMENDATION IS NOT ACCEPTED IN ITS ENTIRETY, THE PARTIES RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MODIFY, AMEND AND/OR ADD PROPOSALS.
F
OR THE CITY: FOR THE UNION:
____
_________________________________ _____________________________________ Jōvan D. Grogan Date Matt Sellers Date
City Manager President, IAFF Local 1171 (Unit 1)
4/8/2026
4/9/26
2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Wages
Proposed Language: 1
3.1 WAGES
A. Effective the first full pay period after City Council approval of this MOU, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to the Union shall be increased by approximately 6.0%.Effective December 27, 2020, all salary ranges in classifications assigned to the Union shall remain status quo.
B. Effective December 26, 202120, 2026 (the first pay period of calendar year 20222027), all salary ranges holding positions in classifications assigned to the Union shall remain status quobe increased by approximately 4.5%.
C. Effective December 25, 2022 ( the first pay period of calendar year 20232028), all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to the Union shall be increased by approximately 5.0%3.5%.
D. Effective the first pay period of calendar year 20242029, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to the Union shall be increased by approximately 4.0%3.5%.
E. Effective the first pay period of calendar year 2025, all salary ranges for employees holding positions in classifications assigned to the Union shall be increased by approximately 2.5%.
FE. In recognition of, and to help secure the employees' speedy ratification of this MOU, the City has exercised its discretion to provide a one-time discretionary cash payment of $5,000$2,000$4,000 for regular employees (pro-rated for part-time employees) in the bargaining unit following Council approval of this MOU. The Parties intend and understand that this lump sum payment is non-pensionable and will not be reported to CalPERS.
This one-time discretionary cash payment shall only be paid as follows:
Employees who were employed in a classification assigned to the bargaining unit at the time of the disbursement, which is estimated to occur after the first pay period after Council approval of this MOU. The one-time discretionary cash payment shall be paid on a the pay day after associated with the first full pay period after Council approval of this MOU
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office
SIDE LETTER AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
THE CITY OF SANTA CLARA
AND
SANTA CLARA FIREFIGHTERS, IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1)
FIREFIGHTER I/II
Effective January 1, 20292028, the City and Unit 1 agree to the following regarding the consolidation of the Firefighter I/II classifications:
1. The Firefighter I (Job Code 487) shall be retitled as Recruit Firefighter (hereafter, “Recruit”).
a. The Recruit classification shall have a base salary of $100,000 annually and be represented by Unit 1, and eligible for the same benefits available to Unit 1 subject to the terms of this Side Letter.
b. The Recruit classification shall be deemed as an unclassified non-sworn temporary classification and must graduate from the Fire Academy and be appointed into the sworn Firefighter classification described in Section 2 below in order to continue employment with the City.
c. The Recruit classification shall be enrolled in the PARS retirement system in lieu of participation in CalPERS and Social Security. If a Recruit has been previously employed by a CalPERS employer and have funds on deposit with CalPERS, the Recruit may be enrolled in CalPERS as a Miscellaneous employee.
d. Upon successful completion of the Fire Academy, an employee in the Recruit classification shall be promoted to the sworn Firefighter classification described in Section 2 below, and effective the beginning of the first full pay period after successful completion of the Fire Academy.
2. The Firefighter II (Job Code 480) shall be retitled to Firefighter.
3. The City will make any administrative changes necessary to implement the terms of this Side Letter, including but not limited to, creating the Recruit job classification specification.
This Side Letter Agreement is considered part of the tentative agreement for a successor Memorandum of Understanding (or “MOU”) between the parties, and shall become effective only as part of the overall tentative agreement for a successor MOU, and when signed by all parties below and approved by City Council.
FOR THE CITY: FOR UNIT 1:
Jōvan D. Grogan Date Matt Sellers Date
City Manager President
4/8/2026
2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Paramedic Assignment Pay
Proposed Language: 1
3.11 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAY
A. Paramedic Assignment
1. 1. The represented classifications of Firefighter, Driver/Engineer and Fire Captain who are assigned to perform as Fire Paramedics assigned on a 24 hour shift basis will be entitled to the whole dollar amount difference between the “Step 5” Firefighter salary Range C1-30 and Range C1-34.
a. Effective the first full pay period after City Council approval of the MOU, employees in the classifications of Firefighter, Driver/Engineer and Fire Captain who are assigned to perform as Fire Paramedics assigned on a 24 hour shift basis will be entitled to a biweekly Paramedic Assignment premium pay equivalent to approximately twelve percent (12%) of the biweekly rate of Step 5 of Firefighter II (Job Code 480S).
2. Employees in the classes of Firefighter, Driver/Engineer and Fire Captain must meet the minimum standard required for the Fire Paramedics and be accredited for practice within Santa Clara County prior to becoming eligible for consideration for Paramedic assignment.
3. It is the intent of this program to allocate assignment opportunities in each of the classes of Firefighter, Driver/Engineer and Fire Captain as determined through the budget process each year and those assignments be filled based on seniority bid within each classification. Bid assignments will be for a minimum of one (1) year.
4. Eligible represented classes may be assigned to work as a Fire Paramedic through the normal assignment practice and will be eligible for the same premium payment as if assigned through the bid system
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – 40-Hour Assignment Pay
Proposed Language: 1
3.11 SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT PAY
B. Training Assignments & Other 40-Hour Assignments
1. Employees assigned to Training, Field Operations, EMS or Administration on a 40- hour schedule or to a special assignment on a 40-hour schedule will receive 12.5% 15% training / 40-hour assignment pay. Employees temporarily assigned, including but not limited to modified duty, to a 40-hour schedule are not eligible for the 12.5% 15% training / 40-hour assignment pay. Paramedics will be allowed to keep receiving paramedic pay while in a training or other 40-hour special assignment. ATOs will continue to receive an additional 5.0% out of class pay.
Holiday pay (7.5%) and FLSA pay will not be paid to those on a 40-hour assignment but those on that schedule will receive the benefit of the thirteen (13) City holidays designated in this MOU.
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Life Insurance
Proposed Language: 1
5.3 LIFE INSURANCE
The City agrees to provide Life Insurance Coverage in the amount of $10,000 for each full-time employee who is eligible for and a subscriber to life insurance benefits in accordance with the City’s group life insurance policy. Effective January 1, 2027, the City will provide Life Insurance Coverage in the amount of $50,000 for each full-time employee who is eligible for and a subscriber to life insurance benefits in accordance with the City’s group life insurance policy.
A. The City further agrees that it will allow eligible active employees to purchase additional Life Insurance Coverage at the rate available to the City.
B. For Basic Life Insurance provided by the City, should the City change Life insurance carriers, all eligible full-time employees on paid status shall be covered by the Basic Life Insurance plan provided by the City
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Vision Insurance
Proposed Language: 1
(NEW) VISION INSURNACE
Effective January 1, 2027, for persons enrolled in the City's VSP vision plan, the City will pay toward vision insurance premiums an amount equal to the lowest cost employee only vision premium. Participation is voluntary. Employees that do not choose to enroll in a vision plan are not entitled to the benefit of City contributions to vision premiums described in this paragraph.
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Personal Leave
Proposed Language: 1
6.2 SICK LEAVE/FAMILY SICK LEAVE/PERSONAL LEAVE
C. Personal Leave
1. Each calendar year, an employee is entitled to use a maximum of 60 72 hours (shift personnel) or 32 hours (non -shift personnel) of accrued Sick Leave as Personal Leave, provided that he/she has sufficient sick leave balance available.
Minimum Personal Leave usage shall be four (4) hours (which rule shall govern even if the employee signed up for personal leave use prior to Council approval for a date after Council approval).
2. Personal leave is intended to provide the employee with short notice time off with pay to attend to personal business that may arise from time to time during the year.
Personal leave may be used to supplement sick leave as required. Personal leave may not be combined with vacation or CTO usage unless the usage is in conjunction with supplementing sick leave or the combined usage is not more than a regular work shift.
3. One additional twelve (12) hour overtime call back per shift in the Fire Protection Division will be granted for Personal Leave. Except for the overtime call back as outlined, Personal Leave use requests will be granted subject to available staffing.
Personal Leave may be granted for the entire shift when requested. Employees working in other divisions are granted Personal Leave based upon that division's ability to allow time off.
4. The employee has an obligation to provide as much notice as possible, preferably one hour prior to the start of the shift, except in emergencies, so as to allow for proper scheduling by the department.
5. An employee must submit or cancel for Personal Leave by 0530 of the first shift of the set affected.
6. Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions, the Department may allow, subject to the needs of the Department at the time of request, for Personal Leave usage as requested by the employee which may not comply with paragraphs 2, 3, or 4.
7. The adoption of this program does not modify the existing ability of the employee to exchange accrued Sick Leave for vacation as provided and defined in the Personnel and Salary Resolution.
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Compensatory Time Off
Proposed Language: 1
3.6 FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT (FLSA) AND OVERTIME
A. Work Cycle:
The monthly salary for employees who are assigned to work a 24 hour schedule will be adjusted by 1.75% rounded to the nearest whole dollar as full satisfaction of the City's obligatory payment of regularly scheduled overtime hours worked during the current 24 day FLSA work period / duty cycle. This practice replaces the past practice of payment of 2.0% and the prior practice of payment of up to 10 hours at the half -time rate for employees who work more than 182 regular work hours during the FLSA cycle.
B. Compensatory Time Off:
Employees may be compensated for overtime in the form of salary payment of, at the request of the employee and approval of the Fire Chief, Compensatory Time Off (CTO) at the 1 ½ time factor for the hours worked. The determination for the type of compensat ion received shall be that of the employee as long as it is consistent with departmental policies. The maximum allowable CTO accrual for represented employees shall not exceed one-hundred and twenty (120) hours.
Employees may use CTO accruals in lieu of vacation for any vacation awarded through the Crewsense submittal process. CTO may not be used for an vacation (VAC) selected in the annual vacation selection process.
Under no circumstances shall accrued CTO be paid out in cash while the employee remains in City service. Only at the time of separation from City Service shall any unused CTO remaining be eligible for a cash payout.
C. MOU Overtime:
The City pays overtime under this MOU (“MOU Overtime”) for all hours worked outside an employee’s regular work schedule at 1.5 times the applicable base salary schedule, plus out of class pay when applicable.
D. FLSA Overtime:
Employees shall be paid for all FLSA qualifying overtime hours worked at 1.5 times the FLSA regular rate as defined by the FLSA and applicable law, with amounts owed by the City for FLSA overtime hours worked subject to any applicable credits under the FLSA and FLSA regulations.
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Overtime
Proposed Language: 1
3.7 OVERTIME (EMERGENCY)
A. Unscheduled Continuation of Shift: Represented employees shall be compensated at the time and one-half (1 ½) rate for actual hours worked (in 15-minute increments) for any unscheduled continued duty hours at the end of a shift.
B. Emergency Call -backs: Call back Emergency Overtime will continue to be compensated at time and one-half (1 1/2) for a minimum three-hour period and then for all time worked in excess of three hours in 15-minute increments.
C. Levi’s Stadium: Bargaining unit members who work overtime for any event at NFL games at Levi’s Stadium will be paid at time and one-half (1 ½) of the employee’s base pay.the double time rate for that work. Overtime under this section will be for pay only and employees may not elect to earn CTO for that work. However, the parties acknowledge that the issue of full reimbursement to the City or Stadium Authority for public safety costs is currently under litigation. In the event a court of competent jurisdiction or arbitrator issues a binding decision permitting less than full reimbursement to the City or Stadium Authority for public safety costs including the payment of the overtime rate listed herein, this section will immediately reopen and the parties wi ll meet and confer over changes to this section. From the time the contract reopens until agreement is reached, overtime will be paid at time and one- half.
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
CITY and Unit 1 Negotiations – Vacation Leave
Proposed Language: 1
6.1 VACATION ACCRUAL AND USAGE
A. Annual and maximum vacation accrual rates, calculated to four decimal points for accuracy, are as follows:
1. 40 HOUR EMPLOYEES
COMPLETED ANNUAL MAXIMUM
YEARS OF SERVICE ACCRUAL ACCRUAL
Start of year 1 through end of year 9 15 days/120 hrs. 400 480 hours Start of year 10 through end of year 15 20 days/160 hrs. 400 480 hours Start of year 16 through end of year 20 22 days/176 hrs. 400 480 hours Start of year 21 and over 24 days/192 hrs. 400 480 hours
2. 24 HOUR EMPLOYEES
COMPLETED ANNUAL MAXIMUM
YEARS OF SERVICE ACCRUAL ACCRUAL
Start of year 1 through end of year 9 8 shifts/192 hrs. 672 hours Start of year 10 through end of year 19 10 shifts/240 hrs. 672 hours Start of year 20 and over 12 shifts/288 hrs. 672 hours
B. Represented employees are entitled to use vacation as it is earned under the following conditions:
1. Vacation may not be taken during the first twelve (12) months of regular employment.
2. Vacation will be earned on a bi-weekly basis (1/26 of the annual accrual) provided that the employee is in a paid status for at least 2/3 of the hours of that pay period.
3. Employee is required to take at least 1/2 of the vacation earned during the previous calendar year in the current calendar year.
4. Upon the completion of the first calendar year of service represented employees are eligible to take the vacation that has been awarded him/her. Following the completion of the first calendar year of employment, represented employees may take all or a part of earned vacation that has been posted to his/her account on a bi-weekly basis, subject to the departmental vacation use policy. Employees may continue to accrue vacation leave in excess of the maximum vacation leave hours permitted in this section; however, any banked vacation hours in excess of the applicable maximum as of the first day of the last full pay period in December in
1 The proposed language is subject to review and approval by the City Attorney’s Office 2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
excess of the maximum as of the end of the pay period which includes December 31st each year will be transferred to the Emergency Paid Leave Pool.
Effective the first full pay period after City Council approval of this MOU, employees shall not be allowed to accrue vacation above the Maximum Accrual.
5. Vacation may be used in (8) eight eight-hour increments
6. Subject to having a sufficient balance of accrued vacation available, an employee may, on a once per year basis, convert a maximum of 40 hours of accrued vacation (56 hours for 24 hour per day employees) to cash at his/her current hourly rate of pay.
On or before the last business day before December 25th each calendar year, an employee may make in writing on an “Irrevocable Vacation Cash-Out Election Form” to be provided by the City an irrevocable vacation cash-out election for one cash-out of vacation the following calendar year. To be effective, the employee's written notice must be received by the Director of Human Resources or designee no later than the last business day before December 25th of the calendar year before the calendar year in which the employee wishes to cash-out vacation. It is understood that an employee using vacation shall always use vacation earned in prior years first before using vacation earned in the current year. The dates available for the cash-out on the Election Form provided by the City shall be the first full pay period in either April, July, October or December.
7. In lieu of receiving a vacation leave cash payout at retirement, the Union may vote to roll accrued vacation leave hours into the employee’s Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) account, subject to Union compliance with Federal rules associated with employee contributions of vacation leave to their VEBA accounts.
8. The parties agree to each of the following subparagraphs, which provisions shall be incorporated in to the vacation policy.
a. An employee must maintain on the schedule his/her half allotted vacation usage requirement at all times. If an employee wants to cancel vacation that was selected in the annual selection process, those shifts must be cancelled in full 24 hour increments and, to the extent required to have half of his/her allotted vacation usage requirement on the schedule, replaced with other available vacation slots.
b. Any vacation cancellation can occur up until 1600 hours on the second shift of the set prior to the affected date. Any vacation submittal can occur up until 1800 hours on the second shift of the set (two consecutive 24-hour shifts) prior to the affected date.
c. During the annual vacation selection process, in which order of selection is based on seniority, there will be no limitations on the number of paramedics approved for vacation on all five columns.
2025 CITY OF SANTA CLARA – IAFF LOCAL 1171 (UNIT 1) NEGOTIATIONS
City of Santa Clara
d. Effective January 2019, the available columns per shift will be reduced from five to four columns after the annual selection process. All vacation columns that were selected during the annual vacation process will be honored in the fifth column. The fifth column shall be eliminated for all shifts in which it was not selected in the annual vacation selection process. Any column selected in the annual vacation selection shall be eligible to be used through Crewsense if cancelled.