OCFA Bargaining Update - November 13, 2021

Dear OCEA member,

Your bargaining team met with OCFA executive management and the Authority’s negotiator on Wednesday, November 10th. We have been diligently working to achieve a fair contract for five months. Yet despite our firm position, management reported to us that the OCFA Board of Directors has not changed its position and does not want to provide you with any wage increases.

We can only interpret this stance to convey that the policy makers and decision makers at OCFA do not value you, do not value the work that you do, and do not value the sacrifices that you made during COVID and continue to make to keep our community safe.

What makes the Board’s position at the bargaining table particularly offensive is the fact that OCFA continues to represent both publicly and privately that it is in very strong financial condition. OCFA also acknowledges in its most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report that salaries have not kept up with rising costs. Further, 7 of the 8 cash contract cities have given their own employees wage increases in the recent past. You and your families are faced with rapid inflation resulting in rising costs for everything from food and fuel to rent, yet OCFA apparently does not care about your reality and does not care about you.

We are not giving up. We have demanded that OCFA’s negotiator return to the JPA Board and obtain authorization for a fair contract. We have also asked Executive Leadership to take a stand and advocate for you. Will they help you get the fair contract you deserve? Will the OCFA Board take positive action to properly compensate you for your efforts on their behalf? Will any of them demonstrate true leadership? We’ll find out in the coming weeks.

We will continue to keep you informed as developments occur.

In solidarity,

Your OCFA Bargaining Team

Publication Date: November 13, 2021