Marysville repeals imposed police contract

The Marysville City Council on Tuesday repealed the city's former imposition of a police employee contract that went into effect last month. The move was made necessary by a new state law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown two weeks ago, city officials said.

AB 1606 requires that a fact-finding panel be requested within 30 days of an impasse in employee contract negotiations. The changes are retroactive to Jan. 1.

The new law "put the city out of compliance," said City Manager Walter Munchheimer. Marysville Police Officers Association representatives and the city "still need to resolve their issues at the bargaining table."

Police employees must be reimbursed "to make them whole as if it had never happened," he said.

The city, three months ago, declared an impasse in its negotiations with the bargaining unit over changes to a contract that would require substantial increases to police pay for health benefits. Elimination of furlough hours without compensation also had been part of the forced contract.

Benefit premiums reduced paychecks last month by as much as $440, according to police employees. The additional uncompensated work hours reduced pay rates by 5 percent.

"I think everybody will be relieved that they'll have enough money now to pay their bills," police association President Aaron Easton said of his co-workers.

"Whether it was compelled or not, I see this as a positive development," he said.

The council resolution, which passed 5-0, requires that the city and the Marysville Police Officers Association resume negotiations.

A pending complaint filed with the state Public Employee Relations Board details 12 alleged violations on the part of the city in its handling of negotiations with the union.

"We're not out to prove a point," Easton said of the complaint, which now has been rendered less relevant. "We have to work together, and we want to do so."

"There's a qualitative part of what police and firefighters do that goes deeper than numbers," he said. "It plays a real role in the health of the city."

CONTACT Nancy Pasternack at npasternack@appealdemocrat.com.