Title
A Resolution of the City Commission ratifying the attached Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Coral Gables and the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #7, providing the City’s police officers a 1% hazard pay supplement funded by the Cares Act.
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The Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge #6 (the “Union”), serves as the exclusive bargaining agent for the City’s police officers in the following classifications: police officers, sergeants and lieutenants. The terms and conditions of employment for the City’s police officers are governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement for the period October 1, 2016 through September 20, 2019 (the “CBA).
The Coronavirus ("COVID-19") is a respiratory illness that has led to a declaration of a public health emergency locally, state-wide and nationally, and has required a considerable expenditure of governmental resources. The federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act was passed in March 2020 which, among other things, appropriated federal monies for local units of governments to cover expenditures incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act specifically appropriated federal monies to Miami-Dade County (the “County”) to mitigate the economic impact of COVID-19.
On July 27, 2020, the County approved the disbursement of federal monies to municipalities within its geographic region to provide what the County referred to as a one percent (1%) hazardous pay supplement or the “1% Hazard Pay” to police officers, in recognition of their tireless work during the pandemic despite the health risk and exposure. The City’s police officers are eligible for the 1% Hazard Pay. State law mandates that any adjustment to wages requires mutual agreement between the City and the Union.