NEWPORT BEACH : Police Employees Weigh Strike Option

Some Police Department employees have begun thinking the unthinkable.

Having worked without a contract since last July, they have begun talking openly about the possibility--however remote--of a strike.

Because of that, Mayor Clarence J. Turner last month asked acting Police Chief Jim Jacobs to prepare a contingency plan for deploying top-ranking police officers on patrol shifts in the event of a strike.

“There is a lot of scuttlebutt and rumors of job actions that might occur,” Jacobs said. “I don’t know how serious they are, but I would say that never in my career have I seen morale at such a low level. There is a tremendous amount of anger around the pay issue.”

City officials remain hopeful that a labor agreement can be reached before any drastic measures are taken.

“I don’t believe anything will happen,” said Turner, who is on the negotiating team for the city. “I believe that there is goodwill on both sides and that will win out over the problems.”

The main problem, of course, is salaries.

Newport Beach officers have said that they should be among the highest paid in Orange County, as dictated by city policy that dates to the 1970s. Officers said their pay has slipped to near the lowest in the county.

City officials have countered that they are unable to grant a raise while trying to close a projected $6-million shortfall in the fiscal 1993-94 budget.

The city and the leadership of the 240-member Newport Beach Police Employees Assn. held a mediation hearing Thursday afternoon behind closed doors. It was the fourth in a series of state-mediated hearings since negotiations reached an impasse in December.

“It is taking longer than we expected,” said Detective Tom Tolman, president of the Newport Beach Police Employees Assn.

About two weeks ago, both the Newport Beach Police Employees Assn. and the Newport Beach Police Management Assn., which is made up of sergeants, lieutenants and captains, overwhelmingly rejected a settlement proposal from the city, Tolman said. Police countered with a proposal that was reviewed Wednesday in closed session by the City Council and discussed Thursday at the bargaining table.

Tolman said that while negotiations with the city continue, he has met at least twice in the past three months with Police Protection League attorneys in Los Angeles to discuss the legalities and effectiveness of job actions, including public demonstrations, work slowdowns and even walking off the job.

“Things like that are a major step to take,” Tolman said. “All of this is in the what-if stage. . . . My advice (to the employees) has been to stick with mediation as long as possible. Other cities have been without a contract longer than we have, and we are making bits and pieces of progress in mediation.”

As a contingency, Jacobs has devised a plan for deploying two captains, seven lieutenants and 25 sergeants who are committed to staying on the job.