The Hollister Police Officers Association today is set to accept
the 5 percent pay cuts other employee groups agreed to in November,
according to the agenda for a special city council meeting.
The Hollister Police Officers Association today is set to accept the 5 percent pay cuts other employee groups agreed to in November, according to the agenda for a special city council meeting.
That meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at Hollister City Hall. The five other employee groups had accepted the 5 percent reductions in November after negotiations with city leaders.
Talks with the police union had been delayed since that time, partially due to disagreement over the city’s plans to hire two additional officers.
Union leaders have said they were willing to accept the 5 percent pay cut that all other city employees absorbed starting in November in light of annual deficits for eight years running that would drain the once-flush general-fund reserve by 2012.
The pay reductions are effective through October 2011, according to the staff report in the agenda.
Officials estimated all of the cuts would save the city about $570,000 this fiscal year, ending June 30, toward efforts to close a $1.6 million deficit.
Most other workers chose to use furlough days, but it wasn’t much of an option for police due to scheduling and safety concerns.
The police department has 27 full-time sworn officers. It also has four animal control officers and six clerical employees. The sworn officers and clerical staff are included in the police union, while the animal shelter workers are in another bargaining group.
