Title
Adoption of Resolution Amending the Alameda Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) Agreement and Salary Schedule to Eliminate Holiday In-Lieu Pay and to Provide 13 Paid Holidays Off for Administrative Division Chiefs and Add a Step to the Salary Schedule to Adequately Compensate Administrative Division Chiefs for Assuming Additional Responsibilities. (Human Resources 2510)
Body
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From: Dave L. Rudat, Interim City Manager
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Fire Department currently has five Division Chiefs. Two of the five Chiefs are assigned to administrative office assignments. The Division Chiefs assigned to administrative assignments work four, ten-hour days and are not scheduled to work on observed holidays. The current agreement with the Alameda Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) provides that all Division Chiefs receive a 5% salary differential instead of paid time off for each holiday, referred to as Holiday-In-Lieu Pay. It is now recommended to amend the agreement with AFCA to provide the Administrative Division Chiefs with paid holidays off, instead of the 5% Holiday-In-Lieu pay differential. It is also recommended to add a sixth step to the salary schedule to provide Administrative Division Chiefs additional compensation in the amount of 5% to recognize the additional responsibilities of these positions.
BACKGROUND
The Fire Department currently has five Division Chiefs. Three Division Chiefs are assigned to fire suppression operations and work 24-hour shifts. Two Division Chiefs are assigned administrative assignments. One administrative assignment is to act as the Deputy Fire Chief. This Chief Officer position not only acts in the absence of the Fire Chief, but also oversees the Emergency Medical Services and Disaster Preparedness for the City. The other administrative assignment has responsibility for one or more of the Fire Department’s divisions. Typically, this Division Chief oversees the operations division as well as the training and recruitment division.
DISCUSSION
It continues to be difficult to recruit Division Chiefs from the rank of Captain due to the increased responsibility and loss of overtime. Currently, three Division Chiefs are assigned to fire suppression operations and work 24-hour shifts and two Division Chiefs are assigned to administrative office assignments. Division Chiefs assigned to suppression are not only responsible for all suppression activities during their assigned shift, but they also have auxiliary assignments. These auxiliary assignments could include oversight of all equipment/vehicle purchasing and maintenance, information technology, capital projects, and facilities
It is proving to be especially difficult to recruit Division Chiefs interested in assuming higher level administrative responsibilities. Those Division Chiefs assigned as Administrative Chiefs have an even greater responsibility, including overseeing their peers who are Division Chiefs assigned to suppression. In order to more adequately compensate Administrative Division Chiefs, it is recommended to add an additional salary step to the Division Chiefs salary schedule. This sixth step shall be set at 5% above the fifth step and shall only be for 1) Division Chiefs assigned as the Deputy Fire Chief, or 2) Division Chiefs working an administrative assignment, exclusive of the Deputy Fire Chief assignment, and having responsibility for one or more of the Fire Department’s divisions. All additional pay will continue to be based on the fifth step of the salary range.
The Administrative Division Chiefs work four days a week, ten hours a day. Currently, all Division Chiefs receive 5% Holiday-In-Lieu pay. However, because the two Division Chiefs with administrative assignments are not scheduled, nor required, to work observed holidays, it is recommended to amend the agreement with AFCA to eliminate Holiday-In-Lieu pay and provide paid holidays off to Administrative Division Chiefs for the 13 holidays recognized in the Alameda Fire Chiefs Association agreement with the City. This is a total of 130 holiday hours based on their 10-hour per day schedule, which includes 11 observed holidays and two floating holidays. There is a concern in the long term that Holiday-In-Lieu pay, for Administrative Division Chiefs, may no longer be recognized as being subject to PERS, since these Chiefs are neither scheduled nor required to work observed holidays
FINANCIAL IMPACT
There should not be a direct fiscal impact as a result of this change. While a sixth step is being added to the salary schedule at 5% above the fifth step, those eligible to receive this pay will no longer receive 5% Holiday-In-Lieu Pay. There should also not be a cost to providing holiday hours because these employees are not assigned to fire suppression, so there is no need to backfill positions in their absence. As a result, no additional overtime cost should be incurred.
There may be a small impact to the City’s CalPERS contribution as a result of the CalPERS recommended changes in compensation for Administrative Division Chiefs. The City is currently paying a PERS contribution on the 5% Holiday-In-Lieu pay for office staff. If, in the future, CalPERS no longer recognizes Holiday-In-Lieu pay as PERSable, the City will not experience this reduction in PERS cost, as it will be paying the PERS contribution on the base salary as part of the proposed change.
MUNICIPAL CODE/POLICY DOCUMENT CROSS REFERENCE
This action is consistent with the Alameda Municipal Code.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
This action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) because it is not a project which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378.
RECOMMENDATION
Adopt a Resolution amending the Alameda Fire Chiefs Association Agreement and Salary Schedule to eliminate Holiday In-Lieu pay and to provide 13 paid holidays off for Administrative Division Chiefs and add a sixth step to the Salary Schedule to adequately compensate Administrative Division Chiefs for assuming additional responsibilities
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Bronstein, Human Resources Director
Financial Impact section reviewed,
Elena Adair, Finance Director
Exhibit:
1. Proposed AFCA Salary Schedule