The IBEW 1245 members at the City of Lompoc have voted to extend the current MOU to June 30, 2022. The vote tally was 47-22.
The extension includes a 2% across-the-board general wage increase, and on the medical benefits, the City will make an additional monthly contribution of $75 for single members, $75 for couples, and $150 for family plans. Overall, members will see an equivalent of 1% to 3.5% depending on their monthly salary.
The 1245 bargaining committee was comprised of members Candace Koff, Dorine Fabing, Leo Ramirez, Nick Davenport and Ko Sumaryadi.
Extending the contract will allow for more time to finish the remaining Ad Hocs that we could not address because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They are the Wastewater Plant Operator series, Account Clerk and Accounting Technician series, Treasury Clerk series, and Warehouse and Purchasing series. We also secured two more groups for Ad Hocs, the Police Records Technicians and Office Staff Assistants.
The extension, coupled with the new 1% sales tax, will put the City on sound footing through the opening of its economy. To further improve the City’s financial outlook, Lompoc voters will be considering a new proposed tax on cannabis manufacturing on a Special Election Ballot on August 31, 2021. Lompoc is currently home to California’s largest cannabis manufacturing plant, with revenues around $350 million per year with a potential of reaching a billion dollars in the near future. The state’s third-largest manufacturer is planning to relocate to Lompoc as well. These businesses currently pay a flat tax of $30,000 per year. The ballot measure proposes a new tax of 2.5% for revenues of over $40 million.
–Jaime Tinoco, IBEW 1245 Business Rep