Employees of Santa Barbara’s Treatment and Harbor Patrol departments are taking their financial battle with the city public after a failed effort to convince the City Council to intervene.
The 120 employees, represented by the Service Employees International Union Local 620, said all they were asking for was a “fair, honest and open discussion” about their contract.
“We’re trying to get this thing settled,” said Mike Woods, field representative for SEIU Local 620. “The city keeps saying they want our contract to be fair and equal, but it’s not fair and equal. The way they are being treated right now is unrespectful.”
The workers spoke at Tuesday’s 2 p.m. council meeting and later at a rally outside City Hall. The two sides have scheduled a meeting for Thursday.
The dispute centers on salary increases, greater employee contribution to pensions and health care, and holidays.
Schmidt said the city ultimately would like the employees to pay 9 percent into their retirement; right now they pay 3 percent.
The union members also want a 4 percent pay increase over two years, but the city has offered them 4 percent over 2.9 years.
Since the recession hit in 2008, the City of Santa Barbara has attempted to decrease the cost of employee contracts, specifically in the area of pensions and health care. The city has been successful with most bargaining units, including the police and fire groups, which are the most expensive to the city budget.
Union officials say the TAP employees are having to wait longer for pay increases already enjoyed by the other employee groups, and that they have to pay more into their pension and health care plans.
The contract between the city employees and the workers ended on Dec. 31, 2013. The TAP unit has been working under the terms of the previous contract since last year.
The treatment and patrol unit consists of 10 armed peace officers who patrol the city’s harbor and waterfront department, 89 employees in the city’s water and wastewater departments, and 21 other types of patrol officers who work at the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport and city parks.
As part of its public relations campaign, the TAP workers have attempted to educate the public about the work that they do.
SEIU stated in a press release: “They are the men and women who make sure you have safe water to drink, treat your wastewater to insure public health, make parks safe and monitor the Santa Barbara Airport by patrolling and monitoring all aspects of operations to keep the public safe and the Harbor Patrol who do several functions: firefighting, law enforcement, open water rescues, and patrol the harbor to insure the safety of all boating operations.”
Louis Gutierrez, a wastewater collection system employee, said at the council meeting said that the cost of clothes and milk have gone up but his wages have not.
“Our children drink plenty of milk,” said Gutierrez, who added that he has a family of five children and “a beautiful wife,” whom he pointed to in the back of the room.
He said he pays almost $900 out-of-pocket per month for medical insurance, which does not include dental or vision.
Thomas Welche, another wastewater treatment plant employee, said all he is asking for is “a fair contract for our bargaining unit.”
He said city employees should be paid enough to live in Santa Barbara, and not have to live in Ventura, Santa Maria, Lompoc and Orcutt.
“Rents are going up, everything is going up,” Welche said. “I would just like your support in moving forward on this.”
Kristy Schmidt, the city’s chief negotiator, said the union’s claims were “riddled with inaccuracies.”
“The city has consistently communicated an ongoing willingness to engage in discussion with the union,” Schmidt said. “In fact, on Aug. 25, we finalized the schedule for another mediation with the unit for this coming Thursday, Sept. 11.
“Given that, I am confused about why the union would say we are not taking action to break the stalemate. We believe that our offer is reasonable, and fair within the context of our agreements with other bargaining units. We are hopeful that the mediation this Thursday will help us make progress toward agreement. “
— Noozhawk staff writer Joshua Molina can be reached at jmolina@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
