By Darrell R. Santschi
The Riverside Press-Enterprise
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The union representing Colton police officers is offering $1 million in wage and benefit concessions in hopes of staving off layoffs that could cost the department 16 jobs.
Colton Police Officers Association spokesman Rich Randolph said the union expected to present its offer to city officials Monday.
It calls for the establishment of a two-tiered retirement system, with new officers receiving less retirement pay. Union members would also surrender accrued sick and vacation time and “waive the right for officers to receive monetary compensation for extra time accrued,” and some officers would take early retirement.
“It is always a difficult decision to give money and benefits,” Randolph wrote in a news release, “but the decision was made to help protect Colton’s police force and our city’s public safety capabilities. The members of the CPOA are proud to serve Colton and we hope the City Council ultimately decides to allow us to continue serving our community.”
The City Council, which will seat two new members tonight, is scheduled to meet in closed session with City Manager Rod Foster to discuss labor contract negotiations.
The council could not muster a large enough majority to place a measure on last month’s ballot to extend Colton’s utility-user tax for another 10 years. By the time the current tax expires June 30, Foster warned, the council will have had to cut $5 million to make up for its absence.
Those cuts could include the loss of 16 police and fire jobs.
Members of the police union were walking door-to-door in an east-side neighborhood Monday as part of a public-relations campaign it is calling “Colton Axing Public Safety” (CAPS). Two public forums were scheduled Monday night, where union members expected to field questions and make their case.
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