Traffic officers’ request denied

Dave Brooks

Karen Peterson just wants to be treated like any other law enforcer

in Huntington Beach.

The parking/traffic control officer carries a badge, hands out

tickets and responds to emergencies but isn’t given the same

representation as other city law-enforcement employees.

Last week, the city Personnel Commission rejected parking

officers’ bid to join the Huntington Beach Police Officers Assn.’s

collective-bargaining unit. The transfer was endorsed by the

association but unanimously rejected by the commission, which ruled

parking officers needed to stay with their current union, the

Municipal Employees Assn., represented by Teamsters Local 911.

The municipal association and the Teamsters handle the city’s

nonsupervisory positions -- everything from receptionists to

mechanics. Because of parking enforcement’s close interaction with

other officers, Peterson sees the police union as a better match.

“We’re held to a different standard than regular city employees,”

Peterson said. “We work hand in hand with cops all day -- we’re in

the field and facing hazards.”

Clad in a dark blue police uniform with gold-lettered police

patches on each shoulder, Peterson tells stories of her officers

being spit on, pushed around and even shot at while driving.

“I had one gal who was nearly crushed when someone tried to smash

her in between two vehicles,” she said.

The police association better understands the needs of the parking

officers, who often respond to disasters and use a similar

accountability and disciplinary system, she argued.

What they don’t share are similar state-retirement benefits,

compensation rates or protection under the officer “Bill of Rights,”

Human Resources Manager Irma Youssefieh said. Unlike parking

enforcement, police also undergo more stringent hiring standards,

rigorous training and are among the only city employees permitted to

carry weapons.

“Police officers have different types of issues, and it’s not the

same type of work,” Youssefieh said. “We felt the parking officers’

interests were more in line with the [Municipal Employees Assn.]”

The employee association has represented parking officers and 85

other budgeted positions at the Police Department for more than 30

years -- the only non-police members of the police union are jailers

and dispatch personnel.

John Von Holle, president of the municipal group, said the union

took no position on the parking officers’ attempt to move.

“If they want to proceed and go to the [police officers assn.], we

won’t stand in their way,” he said. “We want them to be happy.”

Parking officers can appeal the Personnel Commission’s rejection

to the City Council, but Peterson thinks her chances are slim.

“We have a new city administrator, and once she’s had a chance to

settle in, we might approach her,” she said. “For now, we’re just

going to continue doing our job.”