City and SEIU remain at odds over PEPRA pension contributions as negotiations continue

City Manager Dee Williams Ridley updated the council on labor negotiations June 29, saying the city has reached tentative agreements with several bargaining units but remains in active talks with SEIU CSU PTRLA. She described the city's package as a three‑year wage proposal (3%/3%/2%) plus a $400 payment for employees who accept a three‑year term and said the city is offering to reduce pension contributions for PEPRA employees over a six‑year period to make the cost sustainable for the city.

"In this round of negotiations, the union has asked the city to consider reducing the pension contributions to PEPRA employees and the city has been open to the request and we've offered to reduce their pension contributions over a six year time frame," the city manager said, adding the city's fiscal modeling showed the union's June 25 proposal would cost roughly $26 million over two years while the city sought to manage a lower cost path.

The labor dispute drew extensive public comment from SEIU members and other city employees. Multiple speakers who self‑identified as PEPRA employees described paying a 15.25% pension contribution and urged a faster fix. Paola Boylan, speaking as a PEPRA member and SEIU 10/21 representative, said the higher contribution imposes a heavy burden on newer employees and asked the council to accelerate equity measures in the current contract cycle. Many union speakers also urged a cost‑of‑living adjustment and stronger protections for part‑time recreation workers, who they said often lack health coverage and stable scheduling.

Union representatives noted bargaining sessions that stretched into the early morning hours and urged the city to return to the table with a package that addresses pension inequity and vulnerable workers’ needs. City officials said they remain committed to bargaining in good faith and plan to bring tentative agreements for ratification at a special meeting on July 20 where appropriate.