| | Published July 4th, 2012
| MOFD Board, Local 1230 Fail to Reach Agreement
| | By Lucy Amaral | | |
As Lamorinda Weekly was going to press, the Moraga-Orinda Fire District (MOFD) sent a release stating that the District and United Professional Firefighters of Contra Costa County IAFF Local 1230 had reached an impasse in their labor negotiations. The prior Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) expired in January 2010 and since then both parties have been in negotiations. According to information provided by MOFD, while both parties had common ground on certain terms, they failed to reach an agreement on an MOU.
The release, sent by MOFD Fire Chief Randy Bradley, stated that the District sought to address unfunded health and retiree health liabilities, limit health benefit costs, to move future employees to a more sustainable benefit pension formula and provide an overall level of compensation that is within the District's financial budget. The District said it provided Local 1230 with two options, but would not provide details of the proposals.
Going forward, the Board said it would be willing to participate in any applicable impasse procedure.
MOFD Board President Fred Weil said the process is likely to be resolved by the end of September, or close to that time. However, "If we cannot reach a satisfactory agreement at the end of the process, the Board has the power to impose terms and conditions of employment, including compensation and benefits, based upon our last, best and final offer, for a period of one year," he said.
In the meantime, Weil said that salary scales and benefits established in the last contract remain in force and are reflected in the budget. "While the current draft budget is not ideal, we can live with it for a year," he said. "Our focus is longer term and the steps needed for the longer term. Some of those steps have been reflected in changes in the Fire Chief's contract over the last few years, changes in the battalion chiefs' contract, and the significant reduction in administrative costs achieved in the last two years."
Weil said that the focus is now on the firefighters' contract. "The pension and health benefits consultants who made presentations at public meetings discussed the nature of the changes that the Board believes must be accomplished for the long term sustainability of the District," he said. "Our last, best and final offers for one year or three years reflect many of those changes."
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Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA