Union Calls Calif. PD 'Sinking Ship,' Rejects New Contract

The Fresno Police Officers Association membership last week overwhelmingly voted down a new contract proposed by city officials, citing pay, the elimination of assignment sign-ups, and overall low morale.

In emails to members, FPOA leadership reported that 82% of the 513 votes rejected the proposed contract. Over 375 members also submitted comments about their votes. The Bee obtained the emails from a union member.

While details of the proposed contract remain under wraps, FPOA leadership wrote that their team would return to the negotiating table with hopes for an agreeable resolution. If not, "we will declare impasse," FPOA President Brandon Wiemiller wrote, and the union leadership will seek authorization to use "our War Chest and PAC accounts to continue to fight for what our officers and community deserve."

The rejection comes at a time of increased pressure for the police department of California's fifth-largest city.

Last year, Mayor Jerry Dyer and Police Chief Paco Balderrama launched an aggressive recruitment and hiring campaign to stymie a staffing crisis. Plus, the coronavirus pandemic set off a spike in homicides and violent crime in Fresno. Both of those issues came after community members in 2020 demanded the department make reforms in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Both Balderrama and Dyer said they were disappointed the tentative agreement failed, especially considering the time invested by the city administration and FPOA. Dyer said both sides spent hundreds of hours negotiating to reach a tentative agreement with the FPOA leadership.

"As a former police chief, I recognize the importance of finalizing this contract as quickly as possible in order to enhance our recruiting and retention efforts," Dyer said.

He and his team will meet with the Fresno City Council in closed session on Thursday to discuss the next steps.

"The future of Fresno PD and our ability to hire new police officers is highly dependent on this contract," Balderrama said. "I'm confident that we will reach a reasonable contract which makes us an attractive department to work for and is consistent with our city's budgetary constraints."

Pay and staffing

The greatest point of contention for members was "compensation vs. expectation," the union email said.

"Fresno PD officers are expected to handle more calls, carry greater caseloads, face greater violence, face more exposures to danger (i.e. Fentanyl, COVID, etc.). for the same or less pay than their counterparts," Wiemiller wrote.

For police officers, compensation often includes more than a base salary. It can also include pay for overtime, working night shifts, working on special units, and more.

FPOA members submitted comments with their votes, and many said the new proposed contract would further harm recruitment and retention, the email said.

In an interview with The Bee, Wiemiller pointed out the Fresno Deputy Sheriff's Association recently wrapped up contract negotiations, resulting in a "generous package" in which deputies' wages will surpass those of Fresno police officers. Clovis police officers also will soon start negotiating their contract, he said, and he anticipates Clovis will compensate their officers appropriately.

"This would only exacerbate our staffing crisis, resulting in decreased service to the community, continued violence, officer burnout and inability to attract quality officers to the department," Wiemiller wrote in his email to members.

That will make it harder for Fresno PD to recruit new officers and retain current ones, no matter how aggressive Balderrama is in his campaign, Wiemiller said. Plus, the best recruits will likely choose higher-paying jobs, leaving Fresno PD with a lower quality pool. Wiemiller pointed out that despite many new hires, the department still shrank this year.

Shift sign-ups

FPOA members also took issue with proposed changes to the department's so-called "matrix."

Currently, Fresno patrol officers each year can sign up for which shift and district and/or team they wish to work.

The proposed contract did away with the sign-ups and replaced it with a transfer program that would be continuous throughout the year, Wiemiller said.

The current matrix system works well because "life happens," Wiemiller said.

"People's life situations change," he said. "This allows everyone to make those adjustments on an annual basis, and it always takes into account their seniority in the department."

The new system may have been more palatable to members if it was phased in, Wiemiller said. Overall, members had a lot of questions about it.

Morale

The FPOA members' comments largely reflected a sense of low morale, the FPOA email said.

Many members "likened the department to a 'sinking ship,' with no apparent motivation to keep it from going under," the email said.

Officers also mentioned that while many city employees were able to work from home during the pandemic, officers still showed up to work in person. Ultimately, two Fresno police officers died from COVID-19.

To boost morale, Wiemiller said city administrators should show officers they're valued through actions, not just words.

"The way these negotiations have played out, up to this point, it left our membership feeling undervalued, unappreciated, and unsupported," he said.

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