To: Board of Supervisors
From: Monica Nino, County Administrator
Report Title: Side Letter with the United Chief Officers Association.
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
ADOPT a Resolution approving the Side Letter between the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District (District) and IAFF, Local 1230 (Union), amending the vacation and sick leave sections of the MOU to reflect the process for calculating accrual balances for employees moving between 40-hour and 56-hour positions. This Side Letter also amends the Emergency Recall and Standby subsection to clarify that administration and assignment of emergency recall and standby is at the District’s discretion and removes references to the monthly minimum amount of standby and emergency recall duty.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact by clarifying the accruals calculation process and removing reference to monthly minimums for emergency recall and standby duty.
BACKGROUND:
The District at times temporarily assigns staff in 56-hour positions to 40-hour positions, and vice versa. Employees in 56-hour positions accrue vacation and sick leave at a different rate from 40-hour employees. The parties have come to an agreement regarding the method of calculating accrual balances for employees who move between positions, both in terms of accrual rate and usage. This Side Letter formalizes that agreement and provides examples of calculations for employees who move between positions and accrue and utilize leave during the month.
Emergency Recall and Standby are detailed in the District’s Emergency Recall and Standby Policy. This Side Letter adds language clarifying that administration and assignment of emergency recall and standby duty is at the District’s discretion. Removing reference to the monthly minimums affords the District the flexibility to adjust their Emergency Recall and Standby Policy according to their operational needs without the risk of the Policy conflicting with the MOU.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
The calculation of employee leave balances will not accurately reflect their rates of accrual and utilization of both sick leave and vacation leave, resulting in employees' accrual balances being over or under adjusted when moving between 40-hour and 56-hour positions.
Failure to amend the Emergency Recall and Standby language as proposed could result in the District needing to adjust their Emergency Recall and Standby Policy in a way that conflicts with the MOU requirements. The proposed changes provide greater flexibility for the District in determining their operational needs and their ability to respond to and properly staff emergency situations.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
and for Special Districts, Agencies and Authorities Governed by the Board
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IN THE MATTER OF the Side Letter Agreement between the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the United Chief Officers Association, amending the MOU to formalize the method of calculating vacation and sick leave accrual usage and balances for employees who move between 40-hour and 56-hour positions, and amending the Emergency Recall and Standby language in the MOU to clarify that administration and assignment of emergency recall and standby duty is at the District’s discretion and to remove references to monthly minimums for emergency recall and standby duty.
The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors acting in its capacity as the governing board of the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District RESOLVES THAT:
Effective the first of the month following adoption by the Board of Supervisors, the Side Letter of Agreement dated March 22, 2024, between the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District and the United Chief Officers Association, formalizing the method of calculating vacation and sick leave accruals for employees moving between 40-hour and 56-hour positions and amending the Emergency Recall and Standby language, be ADOPTED.