SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / A news summary : The Regional Review / DEVELOPMENTS IN ORANGE, RIVERSIDE, SAN BERNARDINO AND VENTURA : Union Sees 2% Raise for Police as a Failure
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SANTA PAULA — After a four-hour meeting punctuated by boos and jeers from the audience, the Santa Paula City Council voted 3-2 to give police a 2% raise for the coming 12 months, but not the retroactive raises the 29-member force wanted.
Union members said they saw the vote as a failure and will go back to the drawing board to see how they can secure more money. They would not rule out the possibility of filing a lawsuit over unfair labor practices but said it was too early to seriously discuss such a step.
Meanwhile, council members said some fee or tax increase--perhaps through a measure on the November 2000 ballot--is necessary if the community is serious about wanting to make the force’s salaries comparable with counterparts.
The police force remains the lowest paid in the county--about 35% less than officers countywide with benefits taken into consideration, union officials say.
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