RivCo board approves new compact with deputies’ union
The Board of Supervisors today approved a new three-year contract with the union representing Riverside County sheriff's deputies and District Attorney's Office investigators, guaranteeing pay increases to members totaling 19% over the duration of the compact.
In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board authorized implementation of the $164 million collective bargaining agreement between the county and Riverside Sheriffs' Association, which takes effect immediately. It will expire on Dec. 9, 2027.
Automatic pay hikes are at the core of the contract and apply to members in the ``minimum and maximum range of all classifications,'' according to the terms.
The first across-the-board hike, totaling 9%, will go into effect this week. The next auto hike, totaling 5%, will take effect on Dec. 11, 2025, and the final 5% hike will be added to members' paychecks beginning Dec. 11, 2026, according to the agreement.
The county General Fund will cover roughly half the contract costs, while the sheriff's departmental budget will cover the other half.
More than 1,600 employees are covered under the compact, which is specifically with RSA's Law Enforcement Unit, encompassing patrol deputies, school resource officers, aviation personnel, basic-level investigators and District Attorney's Office investigators who are below the executive level.
The Law Enforcement Unit's prior five-year collective bargaining agreement expired this week. Negotiations on the new one got underway in August.
Members have different schedules, some assigned to the standard five-day, 40-hour work week, while others are assigned to 4/10 schedules -- four 10-hour days -- and others are on 3/12 schedules, or three 12-hour days.
The new compact makes allowances for extra duty pay assignments and overtime. There is also a pay allowance for "standby duty,'' during which an employee can be designated as ready for deployment but may never actually be summoned. For each eight hours in standby mode, the law enforcement officer will receive one-hour of regular pay, according to the terms.
There is additionally extra pay for bilingual capabilities and education incentives compensation, as well as premiums for SWAT, the bomb squad and canine management.
Increased pay will further be provided patrol personnel who are "permanently assigned'' to the Palm Desert and Thermal stations.
Only retiring Supervisor Kevin Jeffries has questioned the sustainability of double-digit percentage pay hikes for public safety personnel, along with general escalating costs tied to pensions for all county employees. Tuesday was his second-to-last meeting on the board, and he opted not to make any comments regarding the new compact.
