Committee advances multiple MOUs, retention pay and 911 dispatcher steps; moves overtime change for firefighters

On June 1 the Government Audit & Oversight Committee reviewed and recommended that the full Board consider a package of labor memoranda of understanding and related amendments affecting multiple bargaining units.

Employee Relations Director Artis Graham presented the package, which includes general wage increases phased over the contract term, targeted retention incentives (1% after 24 months and an additional 1% at 30 months for certain units), and a new 5% step for 911 dispatchers to address recruitment and high vacancy rates. The Committee also considered an amendment to allow the Director of Human Resources to temporarily waive the 106‑hour overtime threshold that triggers time‑and‑a‑half for firefighters; DHR staff said the waiver is intended to give departments flexibility to incentivize voluntary overtime rather than mandate it during staffing shortfalls.

Floyd Rollins, president of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798, testified that mandatory overtime during the pandemic created unstable work schedules and supported the incentive changes as a way to reduce reliance on mandated overtime. The Budget and Legislative Analyst recommended approval across the package.

The committee voted to forward items 5–14 to the full Board with a positive recommendation. After a brief closed session and procedural rescind/resend sequence, the committee again forwarded the package to the Board.