Local News in Brief : Officers Group Authorizes Suit

Members of the Manhattan Beach Police Officers Assn., who continued not issuing traffic tickets to protest a new, one-year contract forced on them by City Council members, voted on Saturday to authorize its attorney to file suit against the city.

Sgt. Jack Zea, association president, said the contract the city imposed was not the “last best offer” he said state law requires. In particular, he said, the imposed contract failed to include a previously offered provision of $50 a month for detectives and other speciality jobs that are ineligible for overtime.

Police are also upset about longevity pay, or the extra money officers receive depending on how long they have been with the department. Under the old contract, officers hired before 1975 received a 5% boost in pay after seven years of service, and another 5% increase when they reached the 14-year mark. Those hired after 1975 receive $100 a month extra after seven years and another $100 after 10.

The city’s new contract, however, eliminates longevity pay for new hires and freezes longevity pay amounts for those already receiving it.

The union represents 49 of the department’s 58 officers.

Relations between the union and city officials have been fractious for years as the two sides haggled over wage and benefit issues. None of the five council members were endorsed by the union when they ran for election.