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City employees press Montclair council for fair bargaining as vacancies report shows 10% citywide rate
Summary
Teamsters and other employees urged the council to return to bargaining and increase compensation to retain staff; staff's AB 2561 vacancy report showed 201 authorized positions with 21 vacancies (10% overall), higher vacancy pressures in fire classifications and the firefighters' bargaining unit (MFFA 23%). Council received and filed the vacancies report.
Employees represented by Teamsters Local 1932 and other recognized bargaining units told the Montclair City Council they are struggling to retain staff and urged a return to serious negotiations.
"These employees are the face of the city of Montclair," said Teresa Preciado, a Teamsters business agent, and she asked the council to "come back to the bargaining table prepared to negotiate in good faith and make meaningful investments in the employees who keep this city running." Public works lead Philip Mendez and senior police dispatcher Laura Rico described understaffing, stalled negotiations and the operational consequences. "If half of our dispatch staff leaves, most shifts will be staffed by a single dispatcher responsible for handling the entire city alone," Rico said, warning that critical 911 calls could go unanswered.
Staff separately presented the city's AB 2561 annual vacancies report: of 201 authorized full-time positions, 180 are filled and 21 are vacant, yielding a 10% vacancy rate overall and a 23% vacancy rate in the Montclair Firefighters Association classifications. Continuous recruitments for fire engineer and firefighter-paramedic positions were described, along with challenges such as limited qualified applicants and competing offers from other agencies.
Council members thanked employees for their remarks and acknowledged the tension of budget constraints and negotiations under way. The council voted to receive and file the vacancies report (electronic vote recorded 5-0) and asked staff to continue recruitment and retention work, including continuous exam schedules and outreach. Council members and employees noted possible budget trade-offs and the need to prioritize essential public-safety staffing alongside other city obligations.
The council did not adopt any immediate pay changes at the meeting; members said bargaining remains an active process. Staff said recruitments for fire classifications include exams scheduled June 29 and 30 and that the city had filled 21 full-time vacancies since July 1, 2025.
