Updated 08/31/2023

On August 31, 2023, the City and the PPOA entered into a tentative collective bargaining agreement that will be brought to the September 19, 2023 City Council meeting for consideration and again on October 3, 2023 for approval.

View a press release announcing the contract agreement.

Current Memorandum of Understanding

The most current Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City and the Pleasanton Police Officers Association (PPOA) was effective June 1, 2020 through May 31, 2023. This MOU included a 10.25% pay increase spread over the 3-year contract term.

What does it mean when PPOA says they are working out of contract?

Since the previous MOU expired on May 31, 2023, PPOA members continue to work under the previous contract and receive all of the benefits and salary that had been negotiated in the prior contract.

Status of Negotiations

The City and PPOA have been meeting regularly since March, and the City has made considerable movement in an effort to reach an agreement. Despite these efforts, there are a few significant areas of difference between the parties’ current positions. The chart below outlines each party's position on key terms as of the City’s most recent offer on May 19. After a membership meeting on May 22, the PPOA declared impasse without responding to the City’s offer. The offer presented by the City on May 19, 2023 was not the City's formal last, best, and final offer and the City has remained open to continued negotiation. The declaration of impasse by PPOA on May 24 suspended further negotiations outside of the mediation process.

The City and the PPOA participated in a mediation session with a State mediator on Tuesday, July 18. Despite the City's best efforts, the parties were unable to reach an agreement. At the conclusion of the mediation session, the PPOA filed a request for fact finding with the Public Employment Relations Board. As the City and the PPOA have reached a tentative agreement, fact finding is no longer necessary.

Below is an overview of the City's offer and the PPOA's requests as of May 24, 2023.

Key points of the City’s May 19 offer include:

• For Police Officers, a 15% pay increase over the 3-year contract,
• For Police Sergeants, an 18% pay increase over the 3-year contract, and
• The City agreed to the PPOA's request to triple the City's contribution to employee's retiree health savings accounts and to provide an additional 5% premium pay for specific departmental assignments.

Current and Proposed Salary Information 

Below is an overview of current and proposed salary ranges for the PPOA:

The current average annual salary for officers is $147,058 (based on mid-July payroll numbers). Over 80% of the department's officers are at the highest two levels of salary steps.

The current average annual salary for sergeants is $180,968 (based on mid-July payroll numbers). Over 90% of the department's sergeants are at the highest two levels of salary steps.

These salary averages include any incentives and premium pay personnel receive, including education incentives (up to 5%), POST Certifications (up to 7%), holiday-in-lieu pay (7.5%), and uniform allowance ($1,500 per year). Salary averages do NOT include additional pay from overtime worked.

City Finances and Economic Conditions

Given the current economic climate in which the City's expenditures are expected to continue outpacing revenues for the next several years resulting in future deficits, the City offered a generous compensation package that represents one of the largest pay increases for police officers and sergeants in the City's history.

The current offer submitted by the City would increase costs by more than $6.6 million over the three-year contract term. This would amount to a 36.9% increase over the $17.9 million the City currently pays annually for personnel and benefits for this bargaining unit.

Police Department expenditures, including salary and benefits, currently account for 24.1% of the City's total expenditures.

Can funds from Capital Improvement Projects or other projects be used to fund the PPOA contract?

Salaries and benefits represent recurring costs that require ongoing revenues to fund these expenses. Using one-time resources from capital projects or the General Fund reserve to cover employee compensation costs will lead to a budget deficit in the long run and will impact City services and programming, as these one-time revenues will not be available in future years.

Unrestricted fund balances (reserves) are intended to be used for emergencies (fire recovery, storm recovery, etc.) and economic uncertainties, and depleting the General Fund reserve will impact the City’s ability to provide vital City services and community programs during such times.

Police Department Staffing

Several inaccurate and misleading statements have been provided publicly about the staffing of the Police Department:

How many positions are vacant?

As of July 28, 2023, there were 10 officers out on leaves of absence (medical, family, personal). There are currently 5 unfilled/vacant positions within the Police Department. The City has hired 2 Police Recruits who will fill two of the current unfilled positions when they have completed the police academy and is actively working to fill the remaining 3 unfilled/vacant positions.

Why doesn't the City back fill positions of employees on leave?

The City is unable to fill the positions of employees who are out on leaves of absence as they are reserved for those employees. Even if an employee is not expected to return to work, the City cannot fill positions until they are formally vacated.

How many PPOA positions are funded?

All 75 PPOA Police Department positions are fully funded in the City’s new two-year budget. To minimize staffing shortages, the City utilizes a continuous recruitment process for police officers in a focused effort to fill vacancies as they arise. Over the past 3 years, 13 sworn personnel have left the Department for a variety of reasons including retirement and relocation, and of those only 2 took positions with another local police agency. The City has filled 19 positions in that same time frame.

The City is not cutting positions or units within the police department. The Department has reallocated personnel to meet the Department's and our community's most critical needs based on staffing levels. The levels of service provided by the Police Department and response times have remained the same.

Next Steps

Both parties have agreed to the terms of a 3 year contract, which will be brought to the September 19, 2023 City Council meeting for consideration and again on October 3, 2023 for approval. Following approval by City Council, the contract will go into effect immediately.

Additional Information

The City of Pleasanton issued a press release on May 25, 2023 in response to the declaration of impasse by the PPOA.