Deputies Stage Protest Over Pay, Benefits

Ten days after declaring an impasse in contract negotiations, scores of Ventura County sheriff’s deputies staged a rally outside the County Government Center on Tuesday, saying they are underpaid and confronting skyrocketing medical insurance rates.

Offered no salary or benefit increases during two months of negotiations, members of the 780-member Deputy Sheriff’s Assn. watched their two-year contract expire July 12 and declared the impasse six days later.

“We are falling behind all the agencies around us in salary and benefits,” said union President David Williams. “How can we compete for the best applicants for deputy sheriff when the surrounding agencies are paying 5% to 10% more? How do we keep this the safest county west of the Mississippi when we can’t attract and retain the best and brightest?”

Union members plan to pack next week’s meeting of the Board of Supervisors. Although a strike is illegal under state law, union members have not ruled out work slowdowns or other labor protest actions.

County personnel director Ronald W. Komers said county officials have negotiated in good faith despite there being no money in the county budget for employee raises.

He said the county is prepared to handle whatever labor protest actions the union might take but doubts the situation ever will get to that point.

“We will eventually reach agreement,” Komers said.

The Deputy Sheriff’s Assn. has joined other county unions to commission a $7,500 independent audit of county finances. Deputies believe county supervisors can find the money to offer raises by scaling back county spending elsewhere.

Noting FBI statistics that show Ventura County as the safest urban county in the west, Senior Deputy Jeff Nettleton, an 11-year department veteran, said the deputies deserve better.

“We provide very good services, as the FBI report shows,” he said. “We work very hard for the community. But every time we come to the bargaining table, we have to go through this with the board.”