Today's Question: What Would You Do About City Employee and Police Contracts?

The eight Pleasant Hill City Council candidates met earlier this month to give their views on issues facing the city, and to answer why they would be the best choice to fill the three vacant seats in November. Pleasant Hill Patch was there to record the action.

But we want to hear what you think about these issues. So once a day, we’ll post a question, provide the candidates’ answers, and ask you what you think about those issues. This is your city, and your Patch. Weigh in with your point of view.

In the summer of 2011, the City Council imposed cuts to benefits and pensions on four employee unions and management. The negotiations were long and extremely contentious. Some union members contend that management salaries are too high at the expense of the rank and file. What do you think of the contracts the city negotiated with the public employee unions? What would you do?   

Matthew Rinn:

The contract negotiation process really put a strain on the relationship between the City Council and the bargaining units. There’s a lot of animosity between the groups the way it transpired, and they felt like they got stuck with a certain package. When you’re leading and supervising people, you can’t have your people feel that way about what they’re trying to accomplish. We’ve had a lot of positions absorbed by current staff and we haven’t hired people to replace them. So we’re asking more of people this time and date. I think a lot of that needs to meet with scales of cities in our surrounding area, and as long as we’re in scale with the surrounding area, I think with the passage of AB 340 on the state level, I think a lot more of that will play out on the state level.

Jessica Braverman:

I do labor relations in this area. How can you say the city was successful? It was a shame the city had to embark on these negotiations. These are hard working wage earners that give up million dollar salaries to go work as CEOs at Chevron. Instead they’re public servants. They know that instead of getting a $5 million payout, that they’re going to have a pension and health coverage. I know the city has to stay within a budget and there has to be balance, but my goal as councilwoman would be to restore morale and explore other options.

Jeremy Cloward:

My own perspective is it’s never a good idea to reduce pay or benefits for public employees. A lot of people think public employees are overpaid, and that’s simply not the case. They’re vital to our community, they’re vital to any community. If we want to stimulate the economy, the wrong thing to do is cut people’s pay, and put less money in their pockets so they have less money to spend at our local businesses.

Jim Bonato:

I think the city has done a credible job on negotiations. By the end of the current contracts, police will be paying 9 percent (for pension and health care), city employees paying 7 percent (for pension and health care). That’s the maximum allowed by law. I want to thank the employees who made the sacrifice with these contracts.

Tim Flaherty:

The city successfully negotiated with its four unions. It reduced the city’s exposure and contributions for pensions. It’s also a significant reduction to the city’s contribution to health care benefits. Employees will pay 20 to 25 percent of their health care benefits. It was a hot debate. But we live in tough times, sacrifices were asked and they were begrudgingly given. I applaud the employees for making the sacrifice.

Mike Flake:

Salaries of the management class are excessive in Pleasant Hill. Our city manager makes more than the governor. The city attorney made more than State Attorney General. That’s too much for the level of responsibility we’re asking of them. We’ve squeezed our local unions. Management still got raises and contributions on their 401K accounts. The police chief made more than the director of the California Highway Patrol.

Ken Carlson:

I applaud the rank and file who did give up a lot. I was not impressed with the way negotiations went, I think we missed the boat. Pleasant Hill is a third of the size of Concord. Our city manager makes $320,000 and the Concord city manager makes $328,000. The police chief here makes $331,000, the Concord chief makes $369000, even though our city is a third of the size. Also, the benefit package we provide can be cheaper in the long term.

David Durant:

The last four years were four of the toughest I’ve ever had negotiating these contracts. We have employees who have vested rights. This is hard stuff. Concord stole our police chief by paying him more than we were paying him. I have nothing against public employees. My mother and wife are public employees. It’s about what’s sustainable. 70 to 75 percent of our general fund budget goes to employee costs. It’s about what is sustainable. What we did over last few years was find reasonable adjustments.

Those are the candidates’ thoughts. What do you think?