Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver

California's premier full-service law firm with an emphasis on the representation of peace officers in disciplinary, criminal, labor, workers' compensation, personal injury and other civil matters.

  • About Us
  • Practice Areas
    • Labor Representation
    • Civil Litigation
    • Personal Injury
      • Example of Case Results
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Maritime Law
    • Estate Planning
    • DOE Security Clearance Hearings
    • Peace Officers
    • Firefighters
    • EMS Agency Investigations
    • Criminal Defense
    • CalPERS Appeals
  • Our Team
  • Classes
  • Media
    • Bulletins
    • RLS in the News
  • Resources
    • Links
    • Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Clients
  • Career Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer

Walnut Creek employees take retirement offer, some still unsure of their future

August 7, 2010 by David Shirley

From: Contra Costa Times

Elisabeth Nardi, 8/7/10

Walnut Creek leaders’ ability to bridge a $20 million deficit and balance a budget in June was based partly on an offer of early retirement to employees older than 50. It was unknown at that time how many employees would take the deal.

By the beginning of July, 12 people had agreed to a retirement package, giving them $9,000 a year for three years, in addition to standard city retirement benefits. All had to leave their jobs by the end of July; some had been there for decades.

Though the budget was adopted several weeks ago, its effects continue to unfold.

Municipal workers from across the region are feeling similar pain; they have been laid off, furloughed and have had their hours cut. It’s no different in Walnut Creek, where the situation is sapping city workers’ morale.

To take early retirement, employees had to be 50 or older, work for the city for five years and be invested in the California Public Employees’ Retirement System. The $9,000 is supposed to cover a portion of health insurance.

“We were hoping for a little more, but this helps — it’s not trivial,” said City Manager Gary Pokorny.

Employees taking retirement came from nearly every department, including the police, where one sworn officer took the package. That person will be replaced because certain positions cannot remain vacant, Pokorny said. As for the other positions, five of the 11 will be replaced and five of the jobs will be frozen and left vacant. The future of one position remains undecided, he said.

Pokorny estimates the resulting savings will be less than $800,000. But for now, city jobs may be somewhat stable, he said.

“It all depends on what happens,” he said. “If there was some further catastrophic drop-off in the economy, then we will see.”

The city has laid off 32 people, frozen more than 30 vacant positions and outsourced work once performed by city custodians.

“What we have discovered is that when you are open and honest and involve (employees) in the evaluation “… if they can understand the logic and see the savings, they tend to be OK,” Pokorny said.

There are limitations to that. City management is still investigating other departments in which layoffs could occur next fiscal year as the city tries to save another $100,000 through outsourcing.

“We will probably wait for the new city manager to be in place before presenting any kind of a plan to the City Council,” said assistant city manager Lorie Tinfow. Pokorny retires in November, though council members hope to name his replacement this month.

With outsourcing hanging over their heads, some employees — already working more after co-workers were laid off — are still scared.

“The stress is super high,” said a city employee who asked not to be identified. “We all have that feeling like anything could happen at any time.”

Pokorny said he understands.

“If someone was in one of those positions where they were laid off, it doesn’t feel good,” he said. “They say, ‘I worked hard and I did my job and “… now because of reasons no one had control over, I am being laid off.’ That doesn’t do anything for morale.”

Some employees look at the $39.9 million library project that opened in July and think that money could have helped save city jobs.

Mayor Sue Rainey said she understands the sentiment, but the city saved to build the library, and it’s built. Filling community needs and controlling spending is a delicate balance, she said.

“The job (of the city) is not totally to be just an employment center,” Rainey said. “But we have great employees so it’s hard when you have to cut any of them.”

To stave off more cuts, city leaders want fundamental budget cures that will create change in the future as well as the short-term. For Walnut Creek and many other cities, that discussion lately involves pensions and happens at the bargaining table.

The city is in negotiations with the Walnut Creek Police Management Association, whose contract expired in June. Association members voted on a tentative contract Wednesday, and are waiting to hear whether the city will accept, said Rocky Lucia, a labor attorney who represents association members.

He wouldn’t talk specifics about the negotiations but said that, like every city these days, when it comes to employees, it comes down to one issue.

“Whether its Walnut Creek, Oakland or Modesto,” Lucia said, “it’s all pensions, pensions, pensions.”

Filed Under: RLS In The News

Consultation Form

Offices across California to serve you.
Contact us now to schedule a consultation.
Contact form not loading? Click here!
Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC publishes this website as a service to our clients and other friends for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as a substitute for specific legal advice or opinions, and the transmission of information through this website is not intended to create an attorney-client relationship between sender and receiver. Internet subscribers and online readers should not act upon this information without seeking professional counsel.

© 2023 Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver, PC. All Rights Reserved. | Disclaimer

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Do not sell my personal information.
Cookie settingsACCEPTREJECT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
  • Contact Us

  • News Alerts

Official logo for Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver
Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver Logo
  • About Us
  • Practice Areas
    ▼
    • Labor Representation
    • Civil Litigation
    • Personal Injury
      ▼
      • Example of Case Results
    • Workers’ Compensation
    • Maritime Law
    • Estate Planning
    • DOE Security Clearance Hearings
    • Peace Officers
    • Firefighters
    • EMS Agency Investigations
    • Criminal Defense
    • CalPERS Appeals
  • Our Team
  • Classes
  • Media
    ▼
    • Bulletins
    • RLS in the News
  • Resources
    ▼
    • Links
    • Resources
    • Newsletters
  • Clients
  • Career Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • Disclaimer
Hotline phone numbers. Northern California: 925-609-1699. Southern California: 310-393-1486.