Coronado Police and Fire department employees are stuck in a tug-of-war with the city over their salary and benefits packages for the next three years.
Since contracts ended on June 30, police officers and firefighters have been currently serving the island without active labor agreements, according to Darren Hamilton, president of the Coronado Police Officers Association (CPOA).
Both agencies’ employee associations have been negotiating with the city since December, so far to no avail.
Around every three years, Coronado enters labor negotiations with the city’s first responders. Hamilton said historically the talks have been seamless and contracts have fallen into place.
This has been a very, very difficult negotiation process for us.
Darren Hamilton, President of the Coronado Police Officers Association
“This has been a very, very difficult negotiation process for us,” Hamilton said to The Coronado News on July 2.
The city said in a statement that “while in negotiations, the terms of the existing labor agreements remain fully in effect with employees receiving the same levels of compensation and benefits” until new contracts have been adopted.
The CPOA represents a total of 70 staff members and 30 volunteers. The Coronado Firefighters Association represents 27 firefighters.
Hamilton said the city normally looks at where Coronado’s department falls financially compared to police agencies in 10 other communities around San Diego, such as Carlsbad, La Mesa and National City.
Based on those comparisons, the city negotiates toward salary and benefit packages.
Hamilton said that, generally, Coronado’s contracts have been at the median of the 10 agencies, or a little above. However, this year, he said the city’s proposal reflected a lower level of support.
“They want us to be No. 1 … The expectation is to provide that level of service,” Hamilton said, raising his hand high in the air. “But what they’re spelling out to us is, ‘This is what you’re worth,’” he added, moving his hand lower.
The Coronado Firefighters Association (CFA) did not respond to a request for an interview by deadline, but did post a statement on social media saying leaders “have been diligently and faithfully negotiating with the City of Coronado for months and have yet to reach an agreement.
All members of the CFA remain committed to providing the same high levels of public service that we pride ourselves on, and the community expects.”
Hamilton stressed that even though there isn’t a new contract at the moment, Coronado’s officers will not perform less than what is expected of them.
We’re going to continue to go out and serve and do everything to the highest level that this community expects and demands. Without a blink.
Darren Hamilton, President of the Coronado Police Officers Association
“We’re going to continue to go out and serve and do everything to the highest level that this community expects and demands. Without a blink,” Hamilton said.
However, he said the longer they go without a contract, it could start to weigh on the officers.
“I’m not saying historically we haven’t been taken care of,” he added. “I think the city does a lot of amazing things for us. I just think that if we want to retain people and attract people in, we have to do a little bit more than historically what they’ve done.”
