REPORT TO THE CITY COUNCIL
FROM: SUMEET MALHI, Director
Personnel Services Department
BY: JENNIFER MISNER, Assistant Director
Personnel Services Department
SUBJECT
Title
Actions pertaining to the Fresno City Firefighters Association, IAFF-Basic for Unit 5
1. ***Adopt a successor Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Fresno and Fresno City Firefighters Association (Non-Management Fire - Unit 5) (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
2. ***RESOLUTION - Adopt the Ninth Amendment to FY 2025 Salary Resolution No. 2024-120, amending Exhibit 5, Unit 5 - Non-Management Fire (IAFF), to provide a salary increase for respective classes as required by the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Fresno and Fresno City Firefighters Association (Non-Management Fire - Unit 5) (Subject to Mayor’s veto)
Body
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended Council (1) approve the attached successor Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to implement wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment for City employees in Unit 5, Non-Management Fire, represented by IAFF; and (2) adopt the Ninth Amendment to FY 2025 Salary Resolution No. 2024-120 to amend Exhibit 5.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City and Fresno City Firefighters Association, IAFF (Non-Management Fire - Unit 5) reached a tentative agreement on a successor MOU which will replace the MOU that expired on June 30, 2024. The MOU provides for an agreement from July 1, 2024 through June 15, 2025, increases to wages, and other changes in terms or conditions of employment.
Upon Council approval of the Ninth Amendment to the FY25 Salary Resolution, Exhibit 5 of the FY25 Salary Resolution will be updated to reflect the amended Exhibit 5 as approved by Council.
BACKGROUND
The City and Fresno City Firefighters Association, IAFF (Non-Management Fire - Unit 5) started meeting in June 2024 to work towards reaching agreement on a successor MOU. The parties reached a tentative agreement on December 9, 2024.
Significant changes to the MOU are summarized below.
• Term: July 1, 2024 through June 15, 2025.
• Salaries: FY25: 3% wage increase, retroactively effective July 1, 2024.
• Uniform Allowance: Increase uniform allowance from $1,500 annually to $1,750 annually. Modify uniform allowance payment from semi-annual installments to one annual payment, paid in the first pay period in July in a separate check. Add provision for the department to provide structure boots in accordance with department policies and a provision to prorate and pay uniform allowance on an employee’s last paycheck should the employee separate from City service.
• Certificate Pay: Add language to pay certificate pay for the certificates listed in the MOU or their equivalent.
• Retirement, Attendance, Health Incentive: Remove Sick Leave usage de-qualifier for an employee to receive the City’s Health Reimbursement Arrangement benefit. Add reference to the HRA Plan Document.
• Compensatory Time Off: Add language to allow overtime/shift replacement Compensatory Time Off to be accrued in any increments.
• Vacation Leave: Add provision to allow employee’s vacation draw selection to be honored should an employee be forced to move shifts due to operation necessity. If an employee voluntarily moves shifts, their vacation draw hours will be removed and restored to their bank and employee may submit for new leave.
• Sick Leave Upon Retirement: Modify language to match Unit 10, Fire Management, and codify current practice upon retirement.
• Association Recognition: Add provision to allow MOU negotiations to be initiated by either party as early as six months preceding expiration of the MOU.
• Rates of Pay: Establish new section to define a 40-hour and 56-hour schedule.
• Overtime/Shift Replacement & Hours of Work and Schedules: Remove conversion factor language and add new rates of pay language.
• Lockout and Strike: Refer to Labor Code section 1962.
• Firefighter Trainee Schedule: Remove section regarding retirement contributions being refunded, due to reciprocity, if the Firefighter Trainee leaves the Fire Department.
• Leave for Association Business by Union Officers: Remove Executive Board language and allow any Association members to utilize the pool of leave hours for Association business. Cean up language and specify how Union Time Off requests are to be made.
• Reopeners: Removed reopener language.
In addition to the above, there was language clean up throughout the MOU.
The City Attorney’s Office has approved the new MOU and Salary Resolution Amendment as to form.
ENVIRONMENTAL FINDINGS
By the definition provided in the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Section 15378 this item does not qualify as a “project” and is therefore exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act requirements.
LOCAL PREFERENCE
Local preference is not implicated because this item does not involve public contracting or bidding with the City of Fresno.
FISCAL IMPACT
Approval of the MOU and Salary Resolution Amendment will result in estimated additional salary and benefit expenses of $808,585 to the General Fund and $1,495,248 to All Funds in FY25 for the term of the MOU, which expires June 15, 2025.
Attachments:
City of Fresno and IAFF-Basic MOU - Redline
City of Fresno and IAFF-Basic MOU - Final
Costing for Proposed IAFF-Basic MOU
Resolution - Ninth Amendment to FY 2025 Salary Resolution No. 2024-120
Salary Tables - Ninth Amendment to FY 2025 Salary Resolution No. 2024-120 - Redline
Salary Tables - Ninth Amendment to FY 2025 Salary Resolution No. 2024-120 - Final