HUNTINGTON BEACH : Police, City Agree to No-Sickout Pact

Police officers seeking a pay raise will not take part in any sickout, work slowdown or strike under a settlement reached out of court Friday with the city.

Attorneys for Huntington Beach said the settlement, which came shortly before a scheduled court hearing in the labor dispute, is in the city’s best interest.

“The officers have agreed they won’t go on strike or call in sick, so we no longer needed the court’s order,” said Edward B. Reitkopp, an attorney representing the city.

The averted court hearing stemmed from a temporary restraining order the city received before the busy July 4 holiday weekend to ensure that officers stayed on the job.

The weekend before the holiday, a deluge of officers requested compensatory time off and some called in sick. The city had previously rejected a proposal to give the officers a 10.75% pay raise. The officers have not had a raise in three years.

Richard Wright, president of the Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn., said the union did not organize a sickout and called the city’s restraining order premature and unnecessary.

“It was my understanding that those who were sick turned in notes from their doctor,” Wright said. “[The city] was restraining us from doing something we weren’t doing.”

Under the settlement agreement, the city withdrew its request for a permanent injunction and agreed not to bar officers from requesting compensatory time off.

About 35 off-duty police officers were in court for the scheduled hearing, saying they believed they would be held in contempt if they didn’t show up.

Senior Officer Tom Wood, one of the officers in court Friday, said he was frustrated and dismayed over the city’s court action as well as the soured contract negotiations. “I think it’s a real shame that the city is again wasting money on a frivolous action against us,” said Wood.

Negotiations over the pay raise are ongoing, officials said.