The Contra Costa Taxpayers Association has once again mislead the public on firefighter pay and retirement. This time, they are misleading the public on the new Contra Costa County Fire Protection District labor agreement with Local1230.
According to the Weekly Newsflash, this was sent went out:
January 9, 2015 (editors note – date changed to correct year)
What Are the New ConFire Labor Contract Details?
The ConFire(Contra Costa County Fire Protection District) Board of Directors approved a labor contract on Friday, Dec 19th.
According to Lamorinda Weekly, the new contract includes a 7.5 percent pay increase, the gradual elimination of the 9 percent firefighters’ subvention of the employer portion of retirement costs and beginning in 2016, an equal split between the district and the firefighters for any increase in their medical benefits premium. The contract term runs July 1, 2014 through June 30, 2017.
In other words, ConFire Firefighters will no longer pay into their retirement. Pensions consume 40% of ConFire’s budget.
This email is not exactly true when the Taxpayers Association proclaims CONFIRE firefighters will no longer pay into their retirement.
According to the agreement, which we published on January 4, firefighters will still be paying the full employee share into their pensions. What changes is that over the next three years, what is being phased out is firefighters paying a portion of the County’s share of their pension costs–meaning their “subvention” is being phased out.
In other words, Local 1230 employees will pay their full retirement share now and what they did prior to January 1, 2015.
It should also be pointed out that the 7.5% pay increase was over a 3-year-period, not all at one time. This amounts to 2.5% each year.
According to David Twa, County Administrator, the Contra Agreement actually saves the County money.
During the Board of Supervisor Meeting, Twa highlighted this contract agreement will provide a 2.4% savings in annual pensionable pay with first hire in year 1. It moves the fire consistent with what the county has done with other bargaining units moving the COLA from 3% to 2% under new tiers (Public Employees’ Pension Reform Act).
Twa further highlighted the three-year contract begins July 1, 2014 and will run through June 30, 2017. Firefighters are set to receive a 2.5% pay raise and in July 1, 2015, there will be an additional 2.5% wage increase and July 1, 2016 another 2.5% increase.
In addition, there are a number of changes which include workers compensation to bring them in line with other bargaining groups within the county. Firefighters agreed going forward that with health plans in Jan. 2016, each side will pay 50% of premium costs. It will also hold true of dental.
Effective Jan 1, the firefighters subvention will drop 3%. Effective Jan 1, 2016 it will drop another 3% and in Jan. 1, 2017 the final 3% will go away.
We would encourage a correction be issued.
19 comments
Typical of this group. Why are you even suprised ECT? This group hates firefighters and have a giant dose of pension envy. They are hypocrites. Thank you for correcting this.
With insane statements like this, how do people support this group? I would argue firefighters at CONFIRE are underpaid when compared to the rest of the Bay Area. Going a step further, ECCFPD is really underpaid.
This organization is a fraud. Should be shut down for all the lies and crap they pull within the county. Whoever takes CoCo Tax seriously needs their heads examined
Jim,
Contrary to your belief, Con Fire is paid a very fair wage on par with Bay Area departments. You are correct in your belief that East Co. Fire is considerably underpaid compared to their counterparts. However the two departments are vastly different in size and funding. As you well know East County has tried to raise funding but has failed each and every time. It is rather unfortunate that the citizens here have failed to recognize the value of compensating our firefighters. False and erroneous information put out by the CCTaxpayers and the CCTimes hasn’t helped either. Until those groups are forced to come clean or go out of business the public will continue to be short changed. Thank goodness for ECT putting out clarifying information and doing the tedious fact checking the others don’t.
I have no sympathy for overpaid public employees. Particularly ones that get paid this kind of money while they sleep. Just like the greedy supervisors it ii just wrong.Here are facts for 2013.
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Henderson, Hugh E. Fire Chief-East CCFPD
East Contra Costa Fire FPD $288,186
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Burris, Jeff T Battalion Chief-Eccfpd
East Contra Costa FPD $242,697
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Gonzalez, Jake C Battalion Chief-Eccfpd
East Contra Costa FPD $227,602
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Helmick, Brian J Battalion Chief-Eccfpd
East Contra Costa FPD $221,170
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Scott, William M Fire Engineer-East CCFPD
East Contra Costa FPD $184,565
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Grima, Joseph Fire Engineer-East CCFPD
East Contra Costa FPD $177,256
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Baio, Danny Fire Captain-East CCFPD
East Contra Costa FPD $176,392
East Contra Costa Fire Protection Dist. Guerrero, Gilbert J Fire Captain-East CCFPD
East Contra Costa FPD $174,725
Would like to point out…. this article related to CONFIRE, not ECCFPD which you have listed.
Fact….you realize the pay shown publicly is the entire pay and benefit package….not to mention that much of that money is due to overtime. Some of that overtime is voluntary but much of it is manditory…they dont always have a choice to go home because of the staffing issues of the dept. By the way….ECCFPD spend most of their nights awake at least once or twice, if not more. Public safety always get trashed when the salaries are posted, but media never gives a full explanation as to why some are higher. Then people like you believe everything you see without finding out true facts. Take some time to investigate and fact find before forwarding statistics that have no informational backing.
What is wrong with Contra Costa Taxpayers Association? It is run by Alex Aleferis, an idiot. The members are old, rich white guys who care only about their own opinions. Should I go on? I have been to several of their meetings in the past 10 years. They need to do a lot of work on their mission if they want to once again be considered a credible organization, if they ever were.
Fact,
Ever hear of putting things into context? Or would that not work in your effort to inflate the figures you provided. Everyone knows those figures are fully loaded and by doing that you are trying to mislead people. Now why on earth would you try to do that unless you are a douchebag?
@Fact- please post your W2 for 2014 and list the situations that threatened your life while at work in the past year.
@Up and Adam
He won’t. It doesn’t suit his agendas. He is dumb and actually thinks people will mistake a fully loaded cost of employment for an individual’s salary. (Using his logic and “facts” would suggest that a fast food employee makes over 100k a year). Mr. Facts is incapable of comparing apples to apples because it never ends well for him. He even tried his best to include his frustration at the board of supervisors. He is so transparent.
Bottom line: he is not very smart.
Can anyone explain how a fast food worker’s full loaded costs of employment can be over $100k? Cadillac medical plan? Pension? Overtime? Car allowance? Mileage reimbursements?
Or was the comment she made her complete BS?
@ “Stop the Greed”
Who are you talking about? Are you trying to trash firefighters or supervisors today? It’s kind of difficult to tell. In your typical schizophrenic rant you went clear off the tracks. Maybe you are attacking the overcompensated fast food worker or just a lowlife down at the rebar joint.
“Cadillac health plan”? You could begin there. Maybe try defining whom and what you are talking about, instead of projecting your psychobabble crap.
Pension? You mean earned pension? Employee paid pension? Again, clarify for us will you?
“Overtime” as in working non scheduled hours from which one is compensated for the added work on top of regular hours? You do know overtime saves taxpayers money right? Of course you do, but that doesn’t really help your position when it comes to mud slinging now does it?
Car allowance? You mean compensation for using ones own car for performing job related duties? You do know it’s the law for an employer to pay when an employee’s personal vehicle must be used to carry out their work right? Not really a “perk” now is it?
Mileage reimbursement? (See car allowance above as it relates to the law as well).
I would explain further, but I am “escared” it might compromise your few remaining brain cells.
You just can’t help yourself can you?
Better tuck it in, your stupid is showing again.
Excuse me Ma’am, I was referring to your statement that by using the same logic you could show that a fast food worker makes over $100k per year. ….your words, not mine…
How does that work? Can you be specific? I realize it’s not ‘your’ logic, but can you really apply it as you claim?
It is my hope that you can be respectful as you educate the rest of us.
Stop the Greed,
I also see that you were given a laundry list of questions to respond to. You choose to ignore them while completely missed the point. In turn you ask questions made to a rhetorical statement yet expect answers in return?
Now that’s funny!
I think the rest of us got the answer, it’s just not the one you had hoped for.
@ Stop the Greed,
I think you were served with an analogy. I’ll wager that went right over your head.
Searching budgets of companies and cities etc I always want the entire package or “fully loaded cost of employment” because that tells me the true financial picture of the budget. Is this company or what ever going to go bankrupt because it cannot cover the true cost of employment such as the City of Antioch? You have to see the whole picture. Not defending anyone here just stating a truth. You and I still are on the hook for the entire cost of employment or in some cases our great grand children.
To my knowledge no correction has been issued by the group. Troubling, indeed.
@Julio: I concur with your assessment of Mr. Aliferis, which is why I am no longer a member of the taxpayer group. Aliferis’ chronic missteps undermine the group’s mission to provide reliable, factual information and analysis to those who live and work in Contra Costa.
As Aristotle famously said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
To my knowledge CoCoTAX has not yet issued a correction. Troubling, indeed.
@Julio: I concur with your assessment of Mr. Aliferis, which is why I am no longer a member of the taxpayer group. Alifers’ chronic missteps undermine the group’s mission to provide reliable, factual information and analysis to those who live and work in Contra Costa.
As Aristotle famously said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore, is not an act but a habit.”
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