Police Union Agrees to Concessions

The city and the Hercules Police Officers Association have reached an agreement on a one-year labor contract that will result in 11.25 percent cuts, mostly to benefits, interim City Manager Fred Deltorchio said Tuesday.

Deltorchio said the union agreed to that included paying the full 9 percent employee contribution to retirement, three unpaid furlough days and a pay freeze coming after officers took a 3.75 percent pay cut last year. The city was paying for police's entire retirement contribution. The concessions will save the Hercules general fund $400,000 annually, he said.

“Our community should know that our officers made it clear from the start that they would rather lose cash-related pay than accept furloughs which would reduce patrol staffing and compromise our public safety,” Deltorchio said.

Earlier in June, another employee union and city negotiators agreed to a new one-year contract with 12.5 percent cuts to salaries and benefits. The city has been negotiating on the contracts since April, Deltorchio said.

The new employee labor contracts will go before the City Council at Tuesday’s (June 28) meeting.