Turlock Firefighters Settle with City

The city of Turlock will pay more than $146,000 to settle a dispute over health care contributions with Firefighters Local 2434.

The agreement, announced Monday in Stanislaus County Superior Court, includes $131,500 in back payments to a health care fund for retired firefighters and $15,000 in attorney fees and court costs.

Union attorney Timothy Talbot and City Attorney Phaedra Norton said the resolution they agreed on was fair. Talbot said the union’s lawsuit against the city will be dismissed once the paperwork is signed.

“Everybody just wants to move on from here and put this behind us,” Talbot said.

City Hall pays 4 percent of base payroll into the health fund, according to the contract. The union claimed that the 4 percent is based on members’ base sal-ary and benefits. City officials argued that payments are calculated on base salary alone.

In June, a judge sided with the union’s interpretation.

The health care shortages reach back to 2003, Talbot said. Future payments to the firefighters’ retiree health fund will be based on the definition of “payroll” as including base salary and benefits.

“The firefighters are relieved,” union negotiator Jim Watson said. “The question has been resolved … and hopefully, things like this won’t happen in the future.”

WestCoast911 firefighter news source - By Modesto Bee staff writer Merrill Balassone