Sickout by Fresno County Deputies Goes On as Pay Hike Offer Is Rejected

Negotiators for Fresno County deputies have rejected the county’s latest offer to boost salaries by nearly 12% over the next two years, and deputies continued a widespread sickout.

The entire Sheriff’s Department swing shift called in sick Wednesday in apparent protest of the county’s latest offer. Lieutenants and captains have been asked to work 12-hour shifts with no days off to cover for the absences.

In a related matter, the county Board of Supervisors passed a resolution saying members of the Fresno Deputy Sheriff’s Assn., by staging the sickout, were endangering the health and safety of the county.

Sheriff Steve Magarian earlier imposed a section of the county’s salary resolution allowing department heads to require workers obtain a doctors’ statement if he thinks an employee’s absence is suspicious.

Deputies association attorney Barry Bennett charged that the county has “bullied and threatened” the deputies to agree to the latest offer, which he said was unacceptable.

The blue flu first struck the department Saturday, the day after deputies rejected a 5.77% pay hike to start in October. The county raised the offer Tuesday with the 5.77% pay hike in October, followed by a 1.5% increase in December, a 1.25% hike in June, 1989, and a 3% raise in December, 1989.