Madera County mechanics and union dispute standby pay, county calls grievance untimely

Three Madera County fire department mechanics and a union representative described at a public hearing how an on-call practice, county-issued service trucks and a standby-pay provision in the SEIU Local 521 memorandum of understanding led to a formal grievance filed June 1, 2023.

The grievance, filed by SEIU Local 521 on behalf of affected employees, alleges the county denied required standby compensation for Fire Master Mechanics. Jeremy Whitten and Roy Minnick, both mechanics, told the commission the department used an on-call calendar starting in January 2021 and that employees were expected to be available after regular hours.

"This is our call schedule, the days that we were on call," Whitten said while reviewing union exhibits. He described that the MOU provides standby compensation and that, in his understanding, "when an employee is required to stand by, they shall be compensated for such standby time at the rate of $4 per hour." Minnick said the crew had been "on call 365 days out of the year" before the calendar and described the practical effects of on-call work: keeping phones on, limiting travel, and being prepared to respond to breakdowns or tow situations.

Union organ…