Alexandria Presents Mid-Year Pay Raise Plans, But First Responder Unions Say It’s Not Enough | ALXnow

At an upcoming Alexandria City Council meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 26, City Manager Mark Jinks is expected to present a planned mid-year pay rise for city workers, though local unions who have lobbied for a salary adjustment say it is far from enough.

According to the filing, the proposal will be to reinstate an offset initiative that was axed last year due to COVID-19-related revenue losses.

The report notes that the plan consists of:

• Implement the compensation initiatives removed in the fiscal year 2021 budget
• Offer a one-time bonus of $1,000 for full-time employees and prorated for part-time employees
• Provide funding for one-time premium deputy sheriff positions where state funding has not been provided

The compensation initiative is a 1.5% increase in the rate of all city pay scales, with increases for various positions such as captains and lieutenants in the police department and sheriff’s office, as well as for deputy fire chiefs and chief deputy sheriffs.

The item also “indicates that compensation will be a priority for funding consideration as part of planning for the city’s next proposed operating budget for fiscal year 2023.”

In response to competitive pressures and in recognition of the dedicated work of Alexandria public servants, the Board will consider a set of rare mid-year salary adjustments, including a general salary increase, bonuses and targeted raises for public safety. pic.twitter.com/jZN3UhOTR5

— Justin Wilson (@justindotnet) October 20, 2021

Earlier this week, the Alexandria Police Committee, IUPA Local 5 and Alexandria International Firefighters Association Local 2141 attacked city leaders over employee compensation and the financing of programs within these departments. City officials responded that such concerns were overblown as a collective bargaining technique.

“This suggestion is almost as insulting as the 1.5% wage increase the city manager proposed to address our understaffing issue,” the union said in another joint press release. “Our members have been underpaid for years, and the City’s own benchmarks show they are not delivering on their promise to pay amid our regional comparators. »

The statement cited Montgomery County’s $10 hourly premium for frontline workers as an example — though Montgomery County police also expressed dissatisfaction with pay issues. Unions also criticized Jinks for using a 2019 study showing a comparative salary between Alexandria and other jurisdictions rather than a study from last year that showed the gap had widened further.

The full text of the city’s mid-year wage increase is available online, as is the full text of the local union’s response.