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Mostly Cloudy Long Beach floats early-retirement incentive
Schnirman says measure could save more than $1 million per year
In an attempt to reduce costs amid the city’s financial woes, the City Council has approved an early-retirement incentive that could save the city more than $1 million per year if enough eligible employees take the offer.
At its Feb. 21 meeting, the council unanimously approved a package that would be available to all full-time Civil Service Employees Association workers and exempt city employees who opt to take it within 90 days of the resolution’s passage.
“As the city looks at our fiscal crisis and potential cost savings, something we have discussed in consultation with the CSEA is an early-retirement incentive, which has been done here in the past and a variety of places around the region,” City Manager Jack Schnirman. “This resolution begins that process and lets us hear from the City Council and start to proceed and enter into serious conversations with the CSEA as to how best to do this.”
Schnirman said that the measure would be initiated in a way “that is respectful to our workers and brings about the proper cost savings, and also gives the continued continuity of operations that we need.”
He said that 52 city employees are eligible to take the package, in which they would be paid for 50 percent of their unused sick time — in addition to any additional accrued leave — instead of the 30 percent typically paid to retiring employees under the city’s collective bargaining agreement.
If all 52 employees take the offer, Schnirman said, the city could save more than $1 million per year.
According to the resolution, once it is determined how many employees will participate in the incentive, and in order to properly budget for it, the city will meet with CSEA representatives to discuss the specific terms and conditions.
Corporation Counsel Corey Klein said it has yet to be determined how many employees would be interested in the offer. “We’re not sure exactly how many people want to do this,” he said. “What was stressed to me is that before we put into place any type of exact program, we must meet and coordinate with the CSEA. This is just the first step in the process…”
