Work Rules for Police Approved

Council members voted this week to impose new work rules on the city’s police force, breaking an impasse in contract negotiations that began more than two years ago.

But police union officials say the new rules could cost the city millions of dollars in overtime pay.

The new work rules include random drug testing for sworn officers and an end to the employee-controlled use of compensatory time, given in lieu of overtime pay.

Because the city and the Police Officers’ Assn. have not agreed on a “comp time� policy, federal labor laws require that officers now be paid for overtime, City Administrator Michael T. Uberuaga said at the Tuesday council meeting.

Police union officials say the result will be higher personnel costs and a large one-time payment.

If Police Department employees demand to be paid for comp time already earned, “it will cost the city millions of dollars,� said police union negotiator Mark Reid, a representative of the Peace Officers Council of California.

Uberuaga’s estimate of the cost is much lower. As of Dec. 9, Police Department employees had a total 14,830 hours of earned comp time, Uberuaga said, which would cost the city an estimated $348,742 to pay off.

But employees can take the comp time they have earned rather than “cash out,� Uberuaga said.

Mayor Ralph H. Bauer said the control of comp time by supervisors is needed to prevent the disruption of police operations.

“If they were all to use comp time at once, they could effectively shut down the Police Department,� Bauer said. “At one time, they threatened to do that.�

Police union President Richard Wright told council members that would never happen.

“There has never been and there will never be . . . a job action by this association that would jeopardize the safety and welfare of the citizens of this community,� he said.

Both sides are expected to begin new contract negotiations within 30 days.