Riverside Co. Supes OK Agreement with Prosecutors

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA - The Board of Supervisors today approved a two-year collective bargaining agreement with the Riverside County Deputy District Attorneys’ Association, whose members agreed not to seek automatic pay
increases over the life of the contract.

“I appreciate everybody coming together on this,’’ said board Chairman John Benoit. “There was a strong recognition of all the challenges we have. Hopefully, we can continue to have these amicable resolutions.’’

The 60-page contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2015, stipulates that prosecutors will be entitled to so-called “merit pay’’ increases, which are granted unless an employee has failed to meet performance standards. However, unlike the 48-month RCDDAA contract that expired last year, there are no automatic cost-of-living adjustments built into the current agreement.

Prosecutors will be granted the option of redeeming up to 160 hours of accrued but unused vacation time annually. The previous cap was 80 hours. The maximum amount of leave that can be accrued will be 2,080 hours each
calendar year, according to the agreement. It specifies that a union member earns about 10 1/2 hours of vacation time every 10 workdays.

According to the contract, the county will reimburse up to $150 of each attorney’s annual Bar Association dues. A variety of healthcare and incidental expenses will also be covered.

During a recent assessment of fiscal year 2015-16 budgetary challenges, the board expressed general opposition to any pay hikes for employees as the county faces mounting cost pressures that threaten to cut reserves in half.

“We needed an agreement like this for us to establish sustainability of our finances,’’ said Supervisor Marion Ashley. “This is right on the button.’’

The contract makes allowances for “difficult-to-recruit’’ attorneys who warrant a higher salary classification. Prosecutors with specialized knowledge or skills could be hired into the D.A.’s office with a guarantee of annual pay that’s above the base salary of attorneys who have already finished their 24-month probationary periods, according to the agreement. Attorneys hired at salaries that exceed predetermined classifications will be subject to board approval.

The contract maintains retirement formulas that went into effect under the prior collective bargaining deal. RCDDAA members will be responsible for paying their own contributions into the California Public Employees Retirement System, amounting to 8 percent of gross annual salary. The county makes higher per-employee contributions,
depending on PERS rates.

Employees vested in the defined-benefit plan that existed in the county prior to August 2012 are guaranteed future retirement benefits under a 3 percent at 60 formula. Employees hired after that time qualify for benefits of
2 percent at 60 or 2 percent at 62, depending on their classification, according to the contract. The age at which full retirement benefits become available is 60 for the majority of union members.

Compensation is based on the amount -- 2 or 3 percent for RCDDAA members -- of the average of the three highest-paid years of an employee’s career, multiplied by the number of years he or she was on the job.

County executive staff are negotiating agreements with several collective bargaining units this year, including the union representing deputy sheriffs.

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--City News Service