New contract negotiated with highway patrol officers

 

The State has negotiated a new contract with the California Association of Highway Patrolmen to replace the contract that expired July 2, 2006. The new agreement, which covers roughly 6,400 CHP officers, runs through July 2, 2010.

 

Key provisions:

 

·          The State will phase out the longstanding practice that relieved CHP officers of having to pay into their own retirement. Over the four-year contract, officers will assume full responsibility for CalPERS contributions¹ currently paid by the State. During this period, their pay will increase by the amount of the contribution they must pay to CalPERS. This change reestablishes the principle that the employee share of retirement should be paid by the employee.

·          Effective July 3, 2006, officers will receive a stipend equal to 3.5% of their base pay to compensate for time spent on pre- and post-shift activities such as donning protective gear, inspecting weapons and vehicles, and performing other activities integral to their job. Providing this stipend resolves a potential liability for the State stemming from recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on the issue of "donning and doffing" activities.

·          The annual uniform allowance will increase from $570 to $920 over the next three years, and a $25/mo. uniform cleaning allowance will be implemented effective July 3, 2006.

·          The additional hourly pay officers receive for working swing and night shifts will increase over the next two years. Effective July 3, 2006, swing shifts will be paid an additional $0.80/hr.; this differential will increase to $1/hr. on July 1, 2008. (The current swing shift differential is $0.40/hr.) The night shift differential will go up to $1.30/hr., then $1.50/hr., on these same dates from the current $0.65/hr.

·          Officers who suffer an extremely serious bodily injury in the line of duty, but who have not yet reached the minimum retirement age of 50, will be eligible for disability benefits as though they had reached age 50, i.e., 3 percent of salary per year of service, not to exceed 90 percent, or the current benefit level of 50 percent of salary, whichever is greater.

·          Survivors of officers who die before age 50 will be allowed to choose between the existing lump sum death benefit and an alternate benefit that pays a lifetime monthly allowance. To be eligible for the alternate death benefit, the officer must have had at least 20 years of service.

·          Officers who recruit a new Patrol member will receive an additional 40 hours of leave, up to 120 hours per year for three new Patrol members. This program is intended to boost CHP recruitment efforts.

·          The contract will continue to provide the annual salary adjustments required by State law² to keep highway patrol officers compensation on par with local law enforcement in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, and San Diego.

 

The agreement now goes to the Legislature and union members for ratification.