La Habra : Negotiators Fail to Reach Accord on Clerical Pact

City officials and union representatives who met for more than five hours with a state mediator Monday failed to reach an agreement on a contract for city clerical workers.

The 30 employees, who include clerk-typists and computer operators, are asking for a 5% cost-of-living increase in addition to “equity increases” that they said would bring their salaries up to county average, said Richard Brown, staff representative with the Orange County Employee Assn., which is representing the workers.

For clerk-typists, the union’s demand translates to a 13% increase plus the 5% cost of living. The county’s current monthly salary average for a clerk typist is $1,430, according to Brown. In La Habra, the same position nets an average of $1,269 per month.

For six building inspectors, the union is asking for a 13% increase along with a 5% cost-of-living adjustment. While the city pays $2,182 per month, the average building inspector in Orange County receives $2,438, according to Brown.

Assistant City Manager Bob Burns said La Habra “is trying to settle” the salary dispute and offered a 4.25 % increase.

The city Monday denied the union’s request for a meeting with an independent fact-finder.