Agreement Reached in City Contract Talks

The city has reached final contract agreements with four of its five bargaining units, adding pay steps to each of the contracts to bring longtime workers’ salaries in line with those paid in neighboring cities.

City Council members approved contracts this week with the Garden Grove Police Assn. and the local chapter of the Orange County Employees Assn. Agreements with the city’s fire department and administrative staff were approved last month. Officials continue negotiations with a handful of police department managers.

Steve Larson, director of personnel services, said the new salary step approved by the city will make between 50% and 70% of the city’s work force eligible for a pay increase. The raises, averaging about 5%, will be based on merit rather than across the board, Larson said.

“People at the current top step for a year or more will be eligible for the new step,” Larson said, but will not automatically get raises.

Officials have been working to raise the salary levels of longtime employees to make Garden Grove’s pay structure competitive within Orange County.

Councilman Bob Dinsen opposed the new pay step, arguing that the structure could allow two employees to perform almost identical jobs but at different salaries.