Majority of Deputies Call In Sick : Job Action Is First Since Talks Stalled on New Contract

Three-fourths of the Orange County sheriff’s patrol deputies called in sick before their Thursday night shifts began, marking the first job action their union has taken since contract negotiations stalemated.

The “sickout” posed no threat to public safety, spokesmen for the Sheriff’s Department and the union representing deputies said. The union called it a one-day action and said the deputies would return to work today. Several day-shift deputies had to work 16 hours Thursday, and nine investigators recently promoted from patrol duty also were called in to work overtime, Lt. Dick Olson said.

“At this time it looks like all our positions will be covered,” said Olson, the department’s spokesman.

‘Great Lengths’ for Safety

By 2:45 p.m., when the first of two staggered night shifts began, 35 of 46 deputies scheduled to patrol north and south Orange County had called in sick, Olson said. He said the phone lines were flooded between noon and 2 p.m., with three and four deputies at a time waiting on hold to notify their watch commander that they would be absent.

“We are going to great lengths to assure public safety. We just want to send a message to the county that our department is unified,” said Robert J. MacLeod, general manager of the Assn. of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, which represents 800 members. “This is strictly for today.”

Deputies on May 30 overwhelmingly gave their union approval to call for job actions--including a strike--if contract negotiations that began April 8 did not progress. The county has said it believes that a strike would be illegal, but the Sheriff’s Department has devised a contingency plan should a walkout occur. MacLeod said Thursday that the union would like to avoid a strike.

The county made what it called its final offer June 9 for the contract that expires July 3. The union--representing deputies, sergeants and investigators in both the Sheriff’s Department and the district attorney’s office--have since rejected the offer.

“The bottom line,” said John Sibley, the county’s director of employee relations, “is this is costing taxpayers $10,000 for today” in overtime that otherwise wouldn’t be spent.

MacLeod said union members hope the “sickout” will convince the county to return to the bargaining table to continue negotiations on a new two-year contract, but Sibley said that it will not.

“We are not going to yield to the extortion by the union. They are taking advantage of the situation trying to get more money, and in doing so placing the public’s safety at risk,” Sibley said.

The union is seeking a two-year package that would give deputies a 5.75% salary increase in each of the contract’s two years. The county has offered a 4.75% salary increase for the first year and a 4% increase the second year--the same percentages that other county employees have been given.

Other Demands Made

MacLeod said union members also want better insurance and retirement benefits, and extra pay--$150 a month during the first year and $175 the second--for deputies working on helicopter crews to compensate them for their added skills and risk. Other counties pay such premiums, MacLeod said.

Sibley said the county believes that the benefits deputies currently receive are “fair” and that, typically, premium pay is awarded for jobs that are hard to fill. There has been no shortage of volunteers for helicopter units, he said.

“I don’t think deputies would argue that flying a helicopter is more dangerous than working as a patrol deputy,” Sibley said.

Sheriff-Coroner Brad Gates was on vacation and could not be reached for comment.

“I’m sure Brad Gates is no more pleased with this than we are . . . but he really can’t take a position on it anyway,” MacLeod said. “We want the county to negotiate and compromise like they should so they will provide a fair salary and benefits to our members.”

“The sheriff has made the statement that he does not condone any type of job action--anything that affects (deputies’) work or their coming to work,” Olson said.