Contra Costa Taxpayers Association

The Contra Costa Board of Supervisors (BOS) approved another in a long line of union contracts without dealing with the issue of retiree health. This is the 4th contract within a month (the others are fire chiefs, District Attorneys, and firefighters) that does not solve the problem of retiree health. A recent column by Dan Borenstein of the Contra Costa Times revealed that benefits for the hospital staff were equal to 81% of salaries and that does not include the cost of retiree health care.

The BOS needs to be realistic about dealing with this problem. There are over 5,000 people under contracts that will be expiring this coming fall. Continuing to grant unsustainable benefits to the above groups sends the wrong message to the rest of the County employees.