Crowd Pressures Pleasanton To Resolve Police Contract Dispute

PLEASANTON, CA — Dozens of Pleasanton residents and police officers packed the Pleasanton City Council meeting Tuesday to demand that the city settle its monthslong contract dispute with the Pleasanton Police Officers Association. Just before the meeting, supporters held a rally outside city hall holding signs that read “Our police deserve a contract,” “They are worth a lot more,” “Get it done now!” and “This is ridiculous,” among many others.

The PPOA declared an impasse in talks after it rejected the city’s May 19 offer for a new contract. The city’s offer included a 15 percent pay increase over three years for officers, and an 18 percent pay increase over three years for sergeants. Since then, officers have been working under the terms of their previous contract, which expired May 31. After talks on July 18 failed to come to a resolution, the PPOA filed a request with the California Public Employment Relations Board to assign a neutral third-party arbitrator to issue a non-binding decision on Sept. 27.

The city said its $6.6 million offer represents the largest single pay increase ever offered to the PPOA, and brings wages within three percent of the area mean. According to a city website devoted to the negotiations, the current average annual salaries as of July 2023 are $147,058 for officers and $180,968 for sergeants. 80 percent of officers and 90 percent of sergeants are at the highest two levels of salary steps.

Meanwhile, the PPOA said that hourly base pay in Pleasanton is $61.19, below the $66.70 average for comparable agencies. The PPOA said that officer pay is “significantly below” the average comparable agency, and the proposed raises do not raise rank-and-file wages to those of comparable agencies, particularly given the area’s high cost of living. While the city’s offer was close to the PPOA’s initial request of a 19.5-percent raise, the PPOA also said that the city rejected its request for five-percent longevity pay.

As a result, the PPOA said the department is experiencing a prolonged staffing crisis, with 58 active officers and sergeants fulfilling the work of 75 positions. In 2022, the PPD fell below minimum staffing levels 217 times, and the department had to operate under emergency schedules and mandated overtime. The PPOA also said it has received a total of 22 applications in 2022-23, compared with hundreds of applicants in years prior. The department said that it needs to hire at least 25 officers within the next two years. As a result, the department has lowered its hiring standards, specifically by lowering the minimum exam score requirements.

The department has also had to freeze, disband, or cut staffing in a number of specialized units, like the Special Enforcement Unit, Traffic Enforcement Unit, and Crime Prevention Officer position.

“The city manager can continue to say that the offer is fair and generous, but it abandons your long standing policy of keeping our pay competitive in the market,” PPOA President Brian Jewell said during the public comment section of Tuesday’s council meeting. “If you continue to do nothing, with the schedule we are on, there will be no resolution until the end of the year. Our dedicated officers and the community of Pleasanton deserve better. Your community safety hangs in the balance.”

“Units being shut down, forced extra shifts, extended shifts, lowering hiring standards, historically low number of applicants, and the list goes on,” said PPD Officer Rebecca Rodriguez during public comment. “At any point this council can step in and provide a passable proposal to end this. This is a good community. I and my fellow officers love working here. But while serving in this community, I want to remind you that we aren’t robots, and this is still a job. Just like any employee in any industry, police officers need to weigh the pros and cons of a company and consider our lives and our families. I really enjoy serving in the community that raised me, but when I have to ask myself on a daily basis if the cost of living here is worth it while the city council seems to not support me, is that a company you would continue to work for?”

Sixteen civilian speakers echoed these sentiments, with several noting how Pleasanton residents named public safety and crime as their top priority in a recent survey. “Pleasanton PD pay should be commensurate with the other cities in the high range of law enforcement in the surrounding area,” said resident Rick Schempp. “The safety of the citizens of Pleasanton should be one of the top priorities of city management. Actions speak louder than words. Inaction is not a choice in this case. There has been more than enough time to come to terms with our police department. If this was a top priority for us, we would not be here tonight. Pay them a fair wage, please.”

City Manager Gerry Beaudin said that the city is “committed to reaching a fair and workable agreement that is within the city’s budget constraints.” He also noted that the $6.6 million offer over three years will increase officer pay by $20,000 annually, and sergeant pay by $30,000 annually, in addition to what he called a “generous” benefits package that includes physical and mental health initiatives not offered by other departments.

Beaudin also pointed out that 13 officers are currently on leave, meaning that those positions cannot be filled until they return. Several commenters argued that money directed toward a new skate park would be better directed to the salaries of Pleasanton officers, but Beaudin said that one-time money for capital improvements cannot legally be used for salaries and benefits. He also said that the city has not yet presented its final offer, remains open to negotiations, and plans to come back with a final offer before mediation in late September.