Tag Archives: compensation

Where to Find What El Segundo Pays its City Employee Union Members and Managers

Here is where to find out what El Segundo pays its City employee union members and managers. Make sure to see the explanatory information below to understand what the data represents. By far, the police and firefighter employees have the … Continue reading

Posted in California, Economy and Economics, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Police Union Corruption, Politics, Public Records, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Where to Find What El Segundo Pays its City Employee Union Members and Managers

Cut the Raises – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Cut the Raises

The El Segundo Total Compensation Survey on the City website shows the police and firefighters are substantially over-compensated when compared to ten other South Bay and nearby survey cities.

The police and firefighter unions changed their campaign slogan to “We don’t want raises. We just want to stop the cuts.” But they already got their raises – many huge raises during the Great Recession – that are budget-busters. And they are talking about only one out of many annual and periodic raises hidden in their union contracts, including raises on top of raises.

There are no new police or firefighter staffing cuts as they want us to believe. The City Council is funding three additional police positions. And if the firefighters got their way, we would have fewer firefighters per shift. They put Measure P on the 4/10/2012 ballot to maximize their compensation, but reduce staffing to only 12 firefighters and no paramedic transport ambulances per shift.

The firefighters lied to the voters, saying that signing their initiative petition would preserve our local fire department, when it would have disbanded it, forced El Segundo to contract with Los Angeles County for an inferior level of service, and transferred the firefighters to the County. The fire union lobbied the City Council (2/15/11 meeting) to enact Measure P directly into law without letting us vote on it. When we finally got to vote, 90.1% voted “No”, even though the firefighters probably spent over $100,000 on their campaign.

We cannot trust them.

– Mike Robbins


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Fraud Waste and Abuse, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Cut the Raises – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Questions the Phrase “Dehumanizing” – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marc Rener

Questions the Phrase “Dehumanizing”

8/4/15 Council meeting was another organized parade of union members and their companions programed to parrot the slogans of the unions. The firefighter’s union constant fabrication about seven years of salary and compensation cuts. Since 2009 there has not been any department cuts to the firefighters salary or special compensation (source, city records). Both these salaries and special compensations have risen every year and are at all time highs. One firefighter’s earnings, in 2014, was $285,785, more than anybody in El Segundo, even the city manager.

Also no union firefighters live in town. The union’s president lives in Manhattan Beach and their V.P. lives in San Juan Capistrano. They spoke and used words like “not being able to provide for their families”, “severely understaffed”, ”working in one of the most dangerous and hazardous city on the West Coast”. This propaganda makes us lose any admiration for this organization, But when they make accusations like ”personal threats to our families way of life” and “dehumanizing members and their families” now they have lost respect.

Explain how living in million dollar homes between Manhattan Beach and San Diego County, working in one of the safest city in Los Angeles County, making $150,000 to $285,000 a year, early 50’s retirement with six figure pensions is dehumanizing? And the fire department still bills you $1,800 just to transport you to an emergency room.

– Marc Rener


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Fraud Waste and Abuse, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Questions the Phrase “Dehumanizing” – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Marc Rener

Union Claims Don’t Add Up – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Union Claims Don’t Add Up

The firefighter and police “associations” (unions) sent a campaign mailer to all city residents. One side contained propaganda urging attendance at the 7/7/15 City Council meeting, and the other side was a “Stop The Cuts” sign to display during the meeting.

The mailer claimed “millions of dollars in contract concessions over the past seven years”. The unions actually received millions of dollars in excessive and unsustainable pay raises during this period.

The already overpaid firefighter and police unions received the following pay raises during the Great Recession, in three-year contracts approved by City Council on 4/7/09 in Consent Agenda items E11, E12, and E8:

El Segundo Firefighters’ Association (ESFA) received 11.25% in raises for firefighters, paramedics, fire engineers, and fire captains.

El Segundo Police Officers’ Association (ESPOA) received 15% in raises for officers and sergeants.

El Segundo Police Managers’ Association (ESPMA) received 18% in raises for lieutenants and 23% for captains.

The following three year contracts gave all city union members pay raises every year.

All of the above raises were in addition to automatic annual 5% “Step” raises, periodic “Longevity” raises, and many types of “Special Compensation” raises hidden in their union contracts for all six years.

Firefighter and police managers received the following pay raises during the Great Recession, to avoid “salary compaction”, approved by City Council on 12/2/08 in Consent Agenda item E8: Fire Battalion Chiefs, 16.9%; Deputy Fire Chief, 14.9%; Fire Chief, 32.3%; and Police Chief, 23%.

Facts are stubborn things.

– Mike Robbins


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Fraud Waste and Abuse, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Union Claims Don’t Add Up – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Union Activism – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Union Activism

The firefighter and police officer “associations” are labor unions. They spent thousands of dollars campaigning for a month, with deceptive campaign ads and mailers, to keep millions of dollars per year in excess compensation they receive as rewards for their support for past City Council candidates.

None of the firefighters and only one fourth of the police live in town. They want to control and run our city for their own financial benefit.

Their unions exist to continuously increase their compensation, no matter how excessive and unsustainable, at our expense in money and safety. They support candidates and ballot measures that will maximize their pay, and raise our taxes and fees to pay for it.

For example, the firefighters put Measure P on the 4/10/2012 ballot to maximize their compensation, but reduce our safety. It would have forced El Segundo to contract with the L.A. County Fire Department for an inferior level of service. We would have lost our three paramedic transport ambulances, and been forced to use out-of-town ambulance companies, doubling hospital transport times. The firefighters hired a campaign consultant, election lawyers, and professional pollsters. They probably spent over $100,000. I led the grassroots campaign against Measure P. Thankfully, 90% of voters voted “No”.

The city unions contributed $17,500 to the Measure A campaign (4/8/2014). Measure A was eleven tax hikes in one measure, on residents and businesses. I led the campaign against Measure A. We won again. The union activism shows Council is doing its job.

– Mike Robbins


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Measure A - 5 New Taxes and 6 Tax Inceases, Measure P - Firefighters Union Initiative, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Tax Policy and Issues, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Union Activism – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Mike Robbins

Worried About Repercussions – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Robert Clark

Worried About Repercussions

The ES Public Safety Unions compensation contracts are being discussed by the City Council. I’m not here to argue for or against what the Unions are asking for, but most Public Safety union members pay and benefits seem fairly generous.

Recently, I discovered many ES residents will not express their point of view about Public Safety employee’s compensation in public if they are not in support of raises.

Why? Many are concerned about possible repercussions. I understand those concerns.

Several years ago I spoke at a City Council meeting. I assumed the council was the right place to ask for some added enforcement for traffic safety. I was wrong.

Several days later, I received a call from an ESPD officer I knew on a personal level. I was told that I had embarrassed the department, and warned to look out for tickets for offences I don’t recall doing! Like parking near a fire hydrant or in a handicap spot – tickets that cost many $100’s of dollars in fines! I was shocked… and intimidated.

I never received a surprise ticket, but it changed me. What was communicated to me was clearly illegal. But it works. If someone speaks publically against Public Safety Union contracts or matters, will they get a parking or speeding ticket for something they did not do? It’s intimidating to know the union members have that power.

We live in a very small town, and there are many citizens of El Segundo who feel this way – Intimidated.

– Robert Clark


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Herald Letters, El Segundo News, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Officers Commiting Crimes, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Worried About Repercussions – Letter to the El Segundo Herald by Robert Clark

El Segundo Police and Firefighters Got Huge Raises During the Great Recession

by Michael D. Robbins
Director, Public Safety Project, PublicSafetyProject.org

May 20, 2014

The April 8, 2014 El Segundo General Municipal Election is over, and Mayor Bill Fisher has been defeated, in large part because of his tax-and-spend policies and his support for wildly excessive and unsustainable pay raises for the already over-compensated firefighter and police unions that helped launch his political career with lots of campaign support, and for their managers to prevent “salary compaction”.

However, Fisher, and also El Segundo Police Sergeant and former El Segundo Police Officers’ Association (union) President Mike Gill, have continued to campaign after the election is over. They continue to claim the El Segundo firefighter and police union salary increases I cited in my information flyers distributed before the election never happened, despite my overwhelming proof. Here is even more detailed proof for those who won’t click on the links to the official El Segundo City Council Agenda Packet PDF files on the City’s website to read the documents.

Sergeant Mike Gill’s multiple false statements at the May 6, 2014 El Segundo City Council meeting are troublesome, given that he is a sworn police sergeant in a position of authority and public trust, who must be trusted to testify honestly and accurately in court in the normal course of his police duties.

Mayor Fisher supported pay raises ranging from 11.25% to 23% for the firefighter and police unions, in three or four installments over three years, and single pay raises ranging from 14.9% to 32.3% for their managers, during the first three years of the Great Recession. All of the raises were approved well after the Great Recession started, and many included retroactive pay raises effective up to 6 and 9 months before the union contracts were approved. The firefighter and police union contracts included additional 5% annual “step raises”, and additional periodic “longevity raises”.

The pay raises were approved first in closed session City Council meetings, and then again in public as a formality at the open session City Council meetings referenced in the table below.

The total pay raises included the following (not counting compounding, which actually results in higher total raises):

JOB CLASSIFICATION PAY RAISE DATE APPROVED CONSENT AGENDA ITEM
Firefighters 11.25% April 7, 2009 E11
Fire Engineers 11.25% April 7, 2009 E11
Fire Captains 11.25% April 7, 2009 E11
Police Officers 15.0% April 7, 2009 E12
Police Sergeants 15.0% April 7, 2009 E12
Police Lieutenants 18.0% April 7, 2009 E8
Police Captains 23.0% April 7, 2009 E8
Fire Battalion Chiefs 16.9% December 2, 2008 E8
Deputy Fire Chief 14.9% December 2, 2008 E8
Police Chief 23% December 2, 2008 E8
Fire Chief 32.3% December 2, 2008 E8

In addition to the above pay raises, the firefighter and police employees were (and still are) given 5% annual “step raises” in each of the first four or five years after the year they are promoted or assigned to a new position.

In addition to the above pay raises, the firefighter and police employees were (and still are) given periodic “longevity” raises every so many years.

The information below provides details about the big pay raises given to the El Segundo firefighters and police during the Great Recession.


A short list of police and firefifghter pay raises in 2009 and 2008 appear below, followed by more detailed lists of police and firefighter key contract provisions.


The firefighters union contract MOU No. 3928 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E11), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E11) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Firefighter, Fire Paramedic, Fire Engineer, and Fire Captain ranks (but not the Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, and Fire Chief ranks, which are management ranks).

It provided an 11.25% raise during the Great Recession, in the form of three consecutive 3.75% raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

  1. Three-year term, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011.
  2. A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
  3. A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2009.
  4. A 3.75% salary increase for Firefighters, Fire Engineers, and Fire Captains, effective July 1, 2010.


The police officers union contract MOU No. 3929 was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E12), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E12) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Police Officer and Police Sergeant ranks (the two lowest ranks).

It provided a 15% raise during the Great Recession, in the form of three consecutive 5% raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

  1. Three-year term, commencing on July 1, 2008, and ending on September 30, 2011.
  2. A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, retroactively effective October 14, 2008.
  3. A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2009.
  4. A 5% salary increase for Police Officers and Police Sergeants, effective July 1, 2010.


The Police Managers union contract MOU No. ____ was approved at the April 7, 2009 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8), well after the 2008 recession started. Look at the agenda item (E8) in the Agenda Packet to see the MOU. It covers the Police Lieutenant and Police Captain ranks.

It provided an 18% raise for Police Lieutenants and a 23% raise for Police Captains during the Great Recession, in the form of four consecutive raises effective retroactively on July 1, 2008 and October 1, 2008, and also on October 1, 2009 and October 1, 2010. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75)

It included the following (and other) terms:

  1. A 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, retroactively effective July 1, 2008. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
  2. A 9% salary increase for Police Captains and a 4% salary increase for Police Lieutenants, retroactively effective October 1, 2008. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
  3. A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2009. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)
  4. A 5% salary increase for Police Lieutenants and Police Captains, effective October 1, 2010. (ARTICLE 2 SALARY, Section 2.01 Base Salary, Agenda Packet page 75, MOU page 3)


December 2, 2008 El Segundo City Council Resolution-Management Raises (0.98 MB PDF file)

The City Council resolution providing Executive Management, Mid-Management/Confidential, and Public Safety Management city employee raises and benefits increases was approved at the December 2, 2008 El Segundo City Council meeting (Consent Agenda item E8), well after the 2008 Great Recession started. Look at the agenda item (E8) in the Agenda Packet to see the Resolution approving the raises. It covers the Battalion Chief, Deputy Fire Chief, Fire Chief, and Police Chief ranks, which are all management ranks).

It provided substantial raises to prevent salary compaction between management employees and their subordinate union member employees who received large pay increases. Thus, large union employee raises are used as justification for large management employee raises.

It included the following (and other) terms:

  1. Salary Compaction (Compression) in the Police and Fire Departments


    In order to address salary compaction (compression) issues between management job classifications and (labor union) bargaining unit job classifications, the following salary increases establish 5% compensation differentials
    between supervisors and subordinates
    , and result in the Police chief and Fire Chief being assigned to the same salary range. Salary Compaction Pay Adjustments, with the exception of the Fire Chief, effective July 1, 2008, will be effective October 1, 2008. The percentage increases listed below include the 4% salary increase provided to all Management/Confidential Employees.

    1. An increase of 16.9% to the Salary Range for Battalion Chief (Salary Range 60f).
    2. An increase of 14.9% to the Salary Range for Deputy Fire Chief (Salary Range 69f).
    3. An increase of 32.3% to the Salary Range for Fire Chief (Salary Range 70f).
    4. An increase of 23% to the Salary Range for Police Chief (Salary Range 60p).

      PAY – LEAVE PAYOUT – PENSION SPIKE:

      Police Chief David Cummings received a 23% pay increase effective October 1, 2008, which spiked his pay, his vacation and sick leave payout (cash-out) value (for his vacation and sick leave hours which were accrued, accumulated, and rolled-over from year to year), and his pension. His total 2009 earnings was $425,775 – consisting of $225,627 Regular Earnings, $480 Special Compensation, and $199,668 Leave Payout. He retired in 2009 with a pension of $210,213.36 yearly ($17,517.78 monthly) according to CaliforniaPensionReform.com, plus medical insurance, for the rest of his life.

      The reason given for his 23% pay increase that spiked his pay, leave payout, and pension was salary compaction, also known as salary compression, caused by (large) pay increases given to the police union members.

  2. A 4.0% salary increase for all Executive Management, Mid-Management/Confidential Employees, with the exception of the City Manager, effective 7/5/2008.

    For reference purposes, the Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) for the Los Angeles-Riverside-Orange County area averaged 3.52% for the twelve month period from July 2007 – June 2008. …


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Posted in California, El Segundo, El Segundo Election Coverage, El Segundo News, El Segundo Tax and Fee Increases, Elections, Firefighter Union Corruption, News, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Politics, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on El Segundo Police and Firefighters Got Huge Raises During the Great Recession

No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 and “no” on all tax and bond measures, including 30 ($6 billion/year income and sales tax hike), 38 ($10 billion/year income tax hike), 39 ($1 billion/year tax hike); L.A. County Measure J (another 30 year sales tax hike), and El Camino Community College District Measure E ($350 million in new bond debt, probably costing about $700 million with interest).

Taxes are too high, and we also pay business taxes which are passed on to us as consumers. Bond measures create additional debt and require taxes to pay principle and interest. Bonds often cost double the amount borrowed with interest. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, Elections, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on No New Taxes – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Marianne Fong

State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Please vote “yes” on Proposition 32 (bans direct union and corporate contributions to candidates) and “no” on Propositions 30 (income and sales tax hike), 34 (repeals death penalty), 36 (three-strikes dilution), 38 (income tax hike), and 40 (gerrymandered redistricting plan).

Proposition 32 helps prevent El Segundo and other South Bay and California cities from being pushed toward bankruptcy by city employee unions and corporations that buy influence with politicians who then pay them back with our tax money and raise our taxes and fees to pay for it. Typical payoffs are one million tax dollars for every thousand donated.

Corrupt and wildly overpaid firefighter and police unions are spending millions of dollars in deceptive campaign ads to defeat Proposition 32. These unions have been bankrupting our cities and jacking up our taxes and fees, so they can get total compensation of $150,000 to more than $300,000 per year, and retire at age 50 or 55, with a guaranteed pension paying up to 90 percent of their single highest year salary. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter and Police Union Compensation and Pensions, Firefighter Union Corruption, Government Employee Compensation and Pensions, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on State Ballot Measures – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Michael D. Robbins

Unsustainable – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Bill Barks

I wish to applaud and express support for frequent letter writer Michael D. Robbins of El Segundo. Mr. Robbins is exactly correct in his comments regarding the firefighter/police unions and the fantastic compensation packages they have been able to carve out of various ill-advised city councils in the beach cities over several years. Let it also be clear that I applaud the skill and dedication of most of the firefighter and police professionals. However, this unsustainable compensation policy has to be brought under control. … Continue reading

Posted in Beach Reporter Letters, California, El Segundo, Firefighter Union Corruption, Letters to the Editor, Police Union Corruption, Political Corruption, Union Corruption | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Unsustainable – Letter to The Beach Reporter by Bill Barks