Grace Santos, MOFD (Moraga-Orinda Fire District) secretary/clerk, indicated that as of press time the signed MOFD/Local 1230 Memo of Understanding (MOU) has not been readied for publication on the District’s website. The Tentative Agreement, however, which is included in the Oct. 3 amended board packet, is located on the MOFD website: www.mofd.org/board/meetings. The approved contract presumably will be available soon.
The MOU between the District and United Professional Fire Fighters of Contra Costa County I.A.F.F. Local 1230, AFL-CIO has been approved for the period of July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2021.
Base salary for personnel will increase three percent across the board with a two percent equity adjustment starting July 1, 2018 and 2019. A two percent across-the-board increase and one percent equity adjustment will take effect on July 1, 2020. Salary survey data had shown firefighters, engineers and captains were behind the labor market in both salary and total compensation according to the MOFD. The salary increases would move the salaries for these positions a bit closer.
Starting January 1, 2019, there will be the following increases to the monthly amounts paid for health insurance: Employee only – $31; Employee + 1 – $61; Employee + 2 or more – $80. These are capped throughout the contract term.
The new MOU continues the reduced level of retiree health benefits from the previous MOU which also implemented a reduced second tier for employees hired beginning in 2014. Retiree health care rates continue to be capped at 2019 rates throughout the contract. From the Board’s perspective, this helps control the District’s unfunded liability for retiree health.
The MOU provides no changes to retirement contributions. Employees in the three percent at 50 retirement formula will continue to pay the employee’s share of retirement contributions and nine percent of the District/employer’s share of retirement contributions throughout the contract. The MOU also adds five percent acting pay for members acting, or filing a vacancy, in a higher classification. It also implements District-paid life insurance for each employee providing for $50,000 coverage.
The MOU maintains the existing practice of paying ambulance premium pay to members assigned to Medic 41 and Medic 45. It does, however, add language to limit the number of members who receive the premium pay to five per day in accordance with current practice. The MOU also implements a new job classification of firefighter paramedic trainee. This new job classification provides the District increased flexibility when hiring firefighter paramedics.
The fully burdened projected additional costs to the district, while easing unfunded liability to an extent, would total out to $754,206 in 2018/19; $741,483 in 2019/20; and $448,921 in 2020/21.
