GOOD NEWS – You Are Getting A Well-Earned Pay Raise: MEA Secures 20% Special Salary Adjustment for Wastewater Pretreatment Inspectors

In response to MEA’s advocacy and Mayor Kevin Faulconer’s recommendation, the San Diego City Council has voted to approve a 20% Special Salary Adjustment (SSA) for the Wastewater Pretreatment Inspector Series (I, II, III, Supervising and Program Manager).  This SSA will be in addition to the 3.3% general salary increase called for under MEA’s MOU for this fiscal year.

Both increases (the 3.3% general salary increase and the additional 20% special salary increase) will become effective during the first full pay period after July 1, 2019.

These salary increases are also “pensionable” meaning that (1) they count toward increasing the future lifetime pension allowances for employees in the SDCERS defined benefit pension plan who are not yet in DROP; and (2) they count toward increasing the City’s contribution to the 401(k)-style retirement benefit for those hired after July 19, 2012 under “Prop B.”

This 20% SSA is the product of a 2-year advocacy campaign under MEA’s MOU Article 21. MEA’s entire leadership team, its staff and legal counsel have all been single-minded in their focus to get SSAs like this one recommended by the Civil Service Commission (Step 1) and then implemented by action of the Mayor and City Council (Step 2).

This SSA was unique in that the Personnel Department and Civil Service Commission did not recommend an SSA for Wastewater Pretreatment Inspectors. However, in part because of the work of many of your colleagues who worked with MEA to compile the data and demonstrate the merits of this SSA, Public Utilities management agreed that implementing this SSA was critical to the operations of the City.

Overcoming resistance fueled by a tight budget and competing demands for the City’s limited resources, it took additional concerted efforts to persuade the Mayor and City Council to support the implementation of this SSA in the coming fiscal year. MEA recognizes and appreciates the leadership it took for the Mayor to recommend, and the City Council to approve, this critical Special Salary Adjustment for Wastewater Pretreatment Inspectors!

 If you have any questions, please contact MEA at 619-264-6632 or email us at info@sdmea.org