Officers in South Gate End Sickout

A two-day bout of “blue flu” among South Gate police officers involved in a contract dispute with the city ended Wednesday with officers reporting for work as scheduled.

“We were fortunate there were no emergencies” during the 48-hour sickout, said Police Chief Ron George, who canceled his vacation and donned a uniform to patrol the streets.

Neither city officials nor police union spokesmen offered an explanation for the end of the walkout. However, City Council members were scheduled to reopen talks with police officers.

The officers, members of the South Gate Police Officers Assn., are asking for upward of 11% in salary and benefit increases while the city is offering 8% increases, City Hall sources said.

Detective William Rickert, president of the police union, said the salary issue has aggravated a long-standing dispute between the officers and the City Council.

Rickert said the city has failed to keep the salaries of South Gate officers competitive with surrounding cities.

“We are not asking to be the highest paid. We are just asking for equal pay,” Rickert said.

Rickert also denied that there had been a formal walkout by the officers.

“I understand some officers called in sick, but there was no formal job action,” Rickert said. “Officers did call in sick but there were off-duty officers that the city could have called but failed to do so.”

While a majority of the 81 officers participated in the sickout to protest the city’s wage offer, crime-fighting was handled by top-ranking police administrators, a few inexperienced officers and unarmed community service employees.