Mesa Water District extends contract terms to non-union employees

After agreeing last month to a new contract with the association representing most district employees, Mesa Water District board members voted unanimously Thursday to extend the same deal to non-union workers.

The decision means 15 staff members who are not part of the Mesa Water District Employees Assn. also will receive paid time off for jury duty, additional paid holidays and wage increases included in the agreement, which runs through 2022.

“Competitive compensation for Mesa Water’s employees is a central factor in achieving our human-resources goal of attracting and retaining skilled employees per our strategic plan,” board President Jim Atkinson said in a statement. “We attribute a large degree of Mesa Water’s success to our staff, who are committed to implementing our vision of being a top-performing public water agency.”

The workers affected by Thursday’s vote — which include managers, supervisors and professionals responsible for handling confidential information — will, like the union members, receive wage increases of 2% in 2018, 2019 and 2020, 2.5% in 2021 and 3% in 2022 and will be eligible for additional salary adjustments and bonuses based on job performance.

They also will be able to take seven business days off for jury duty without losing pay. Additional time may be granted with the general manager’s approval but cannot exceed 15 business days.

As stipulated in the association contract, Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve will be paid holidays in the district.

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