Union officials say investigators failed to contact its membership over hostile workplace allegations
A police union has taken the San Bernardino County Grand Jury to task for brushing aside allegations of a hostile work environment in the city of Upland.
Late last month, the Grand Jury released its annual report, which revealed it had investigated both Upland’s handling of its finances and allegations of a hostile workplace.
Ultimately, the Grand Jury “did not discover sufficient evidence of poor management, hostile work environments and nepotism to make findings and recommendations at this time,” the report reads in part.
Union officials are unsatisfied with that assessment.
“The investigators did not contact anyone from the (Upland Police Officers Association) or (Upland Police Management Association) about any allegations of a hostile work environment,” a post on the UPOA’s Facebook page reads in part. “If they had, they would have been given a list of names that alleged a hostile work environment under the previous administration.”
Former City Manager Jeannette Vagnozzi, who was fired in May, had a fraught relationship with city employees during her six months on the job, with 92% of union-represented employees voting in favor of a no-confidence motion in January. According to the UPOA post, only one member of one of the city’s employee unions, the Upland City Employees Association, was contacted by investigators.
Union officials said they questioned the accuracy and legitimacy of the Grand Jury report, and released their response because it is “imperative that we let the public know our concerns,” according to the UPOA Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the post said that though union officials do not always agree with city management, they are satisfied Upland has made “great strides” in addressing its financial health.
In the June 28 report, the Grand Jury said it had investigated claims that the city’s financial status was in “poor condition” due in large part to unfunded pension liabilities. According to the report, the Grand Jury found “future financial issues related to employee pension payments,” and no plan to deal with them.
During its investigation, the Grand Jury hired an auditor to perform an independent audit of the city’s financial health. Among the conclusions of the audit: Pension payments for city employees are projected to grow at an average rate of 7.47% over 10 years, from $8.9 million in fiscal year 2017-18 to $15.6 million in 2027-28.
“The City of Upland must develop a formal course of action to reduce their unfunded pension liability and develop a formal plan that funds future pension contributions,” the Grand Jury report concludes.
On Wednesday, July 3, the city responded to the report, well ahead of the Aug. 27 deadline set by the Grand Jury:
“In response to the Grand Jury’s findings, the City of Upland will be developing a formal course of action to reduce pension liabilities associated with employee pension and benefits,” a city news release issued Wednesday reads in part. The plan will include adding money to the $1.08 million and $6.54 million the city has set aside in a trust for retirement benefits and pensions, respectively.
The Grand Jury’s report also tackled children and family services, county homelessness, county prisons and jails, regional parks, school safety, and senior services centers.
July 5, 2019
Inland Daily Bulletin
By Beau Yarbrough
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