FMEF Bargaining Update June 24, 2021

Dear FMEF Member,

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend the FMEF virtual general membership meeting on Thursday, June 17th. FMEF leaders and OCEA staff joined together to update the membership on where we are in negotiations, how the process works, and how members can help.

As you all know, there are members of the Fullerton Council who claim the City is broke. This narrative is touted as a reason to cut the City budget, and cut workers. However, when FMEF and your OCEA representatives dug deeper, facts emerge that counter this narrative.

• First, the City’s total fund balance has grown 30% from FY 2014-15 to FY 2018-19. Year after year the City continues to see revenues increasing at a faster rate than expenditures - hardly a symptom of a “broke” city.
• Second, the City finance team has missed their projections by millions of dollars. These incorrect projections resulted in decisions being made with incorrect data. The City must be more accurate in their projections if they are to be trusted.
• Third, the City is receiving approximately $32 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds over the next two years! This money is going to the City in order to maintain service levels.
• Finally, the City has ample reserves and overfunded activities. The City maintains several internal funds for specific purposes. Some of these funds are overfunded by MILLIONS of dollars. This is NOT consistent with generally accepted public sector accounting practices. Those funds should be invested in services. 

In short, the City ain’t broke!

During the meeting, OCEA Staff Veronica Rodarte and Adam Ribota went over how the negotiations process works. In some cases the process is straight forward and without “politics.” However, in many cases the process is filled with outside noise that impacts our ability to get a fair contract. Despite any noise or politics, the primary objective of our FMEF negotiations team is to secure a fair contract for our members. Our primary goals are to protect all FMEF members, fight for financial improvements, and make other employee-friendly changes to the MOU. Our proposals are fair, straight forward, and reflect the economic reality of the City.

The City is currently reviewing the budget and looking at where they can “cut” 2%-5% in spending. We don’t have to tell you that residents won't tolerate more service cuts. Fullerton residents and businesses are already feeling the strain of the Council majority's dangerous and flawed fiscal philosophy. We need to tell these stories, and that is where you come in! During recent union meetings, stories have been shared about how Fullerton residents are being affected. Cuts in funding for police support services, community services, streets, the Museum, and even library services have impacted the quality of life in Fullerton. We need to hear these stories so we can educate the residents on what a spending cut really means. Please click here to complete a brief survey so a negotiations team member can reach out to learn more about how the services you provide are essential to Fullerton residents. The identity of the respondents will NOT be shared with management under any circumstances.

In the coming weeks, FMEF bargaining team members will be meeting with our City Council allies, community leaders, and other unions. We are building a coalition of people inside and outside of the City who are committed to standing with FMEF workers. The time has come to fight for City services and Fullerton residents.

Please contact one of your FMEF board members or OCEA staff if you have any questions.

In Solidarity,

Veronica Rodarte
Sr. Labor Relations Representative

Publication Date: June 24, 2021