Contact: Leslie Lea
Foreperson
925-957-5638
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT NO. 0902
Economic Catastrophe Looms:
Contra Costa County Continues to be Ill-Prepared
for Labor Negotiations
TO: Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors
SUMMARY:
Facing probably its most disastrous financial crises in two decades, Contra Costa County
is ill-prepared for its 2008-2009 labor negotiations. At a time when its unions have
signaled that they intend to pursue economic business as usual, including higher wages
and benefits, the County lacks a coherent negotiating strategy and trained, experienced
negotiators for limiting fiscally unsustainable proposals.
The County risks making reactive and unwise decisions which will worsen its well-
documented budget and Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) obligations. A
reactive approach ensures many existing outdated work practices will continue and will
pose a risk to future budgets, programs, and staffing levels.
Contra Costa County 2008‐2009 Grand Jury Report
Page 1
Glossary
• Board of Supervisors (BOS):The five (5) person elected body responsible for the governance
of Contra Costa County
• Collective Bargaining: The formal process whereby unions and management negotiate
wages, benefits, work rules and conditions
• County Leadership Group: The County Administrator and staff responsible for managing
Contra Costa County’s operations.
• Industrial Employers and Distributors, Inc. (IEDA): This employer-employee relations
consulting firm has been retained by Contra Costa County to act as its lead negotiation
representative in collective bargaining
• Meyers-Milias- Brown Act: A 65 page California law governing all aspects of labor relations
between public entities and represented unions.
• Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB): An accounting term meaning retirement benefits
primarily related to health care.
• Total Compensation Study: A salary and benefits stud