By Maya Miller
The Sacramento Bee
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s state highway patrol dispatchers, security officers, park rangers and other public safety and law enforcement employees will see their pay increase by at least 7% over the next three years under a tentative contract negotiated between their union and CalHR.
The three-year agreement also includes a new family leave program for new parents or employees who need to care for a seriously ill family member. Notably, the deal does not include the additional retirement benefits that correctional officers secured in their contract with the state.
More than 7,300 members represented by the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association have until Friday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. to vote on the agreement, which CalHR estimates will cost the state $450.8 million.
Union leadership expressed disappointment that they couldn’t deliver higher across-the-board raises to members. The general salary increases in the deal amount to 3% backdated to July 1 of this year, 2% in July 2024 and 2% in July 2025.
“(T)he team felt they successfully negotiated the best agreement that the Newsom administration was going to agree to,” said CSLEA President Alan Barcelona in an announcement to members over the weekend. “We pressed and pressed and are extremely disappointed that we were not successful in convincing the administration to agree on higher General Salary Increases.”
Still, Barcelona thanked the union’s bargaining team for the “tremendous amount of work” that they put into the negotiating process.
In addition to the general salary increases, employees in sixteen classifications – including dispatchers and officers with the California Highway Patrol – will receive special salary adjustments in addition to the general salary increase. The pay changes range from a little less than 4% to more than 8%. (CHP dispatchers and officers will receive 7% special salary adjustments.)
The union said State Controller’s Office data shows these positions currently have vacancy rates of 20% or higher, making them eligible for adjustments.
Another 48 positions will see their maximum salary increase by 2.5% to 8% depending on the classification. Workers in these jobs, such as agents at the Department Alcoholic Beverage Control and crime analysts, will only receive the salary bumps if they’ve been at the top of their pay range for at least 12 pay periods.
On top of their salary adjustments, some employees will also receive monthly recruitment and retention bonuses.
Dispatchers and public safety officers at CHP communications centers in San Diego, Vallejo, Orange County and Los Angeles will receive an increased recruitment and retention bonus of $750. Workers at 11 additional call centers, including those in Sacramento and Fresno, will earn a $300 differential.
Employees who work a night shift will see their bonus pay increase from $1 to $1.75 an hour.
CSLEA is one of the final state worker bargaining units to reach a deal with the state this summer. The union representing physicians in state prisons and hospitals reached a deal late last week, and state scientists are still in bargaining and have yet to reach an agreement.
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