San Diego California July 29, 2021 - The Paragon Systems Protective Service Officers who are entrusted to protect the federal buildings and the borders in San Diego, San Bernardino Riverside and Imperial counties will soon be voting to accept a new 3 year collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions LEOSU-CA, United Federation LEOS-PBA and our bargaining committee.
The Law Enforcement Officers Security Unions LEOSU-CA, United Federation LEOS-PBA and our bargaining committee were successful in negotiating with Paragon Systems the highest wage increase they ever had on this contract which is a 4% increase amounting to a $1.35 an hour wage increase in the first year of the contract plus an increase in their Health & Welfare benefits and access to a new Kaiser health plan starting this upcoming January.
Back in 2020 the 257 Paragon Systems Protective Service Officers in San Diego, San Bernardino Riverside and Imperial counties voted to switch unions to LEOSU-CA, United Federation LEOS-PBA seeking independence from their former International union that for years had failed them, making BIG promises and delivering NOTHING!
"While some might say that a 4% raise ($1.35) is not really that big a deal, when you compare that to what our former International Union negotiated back in September of 2020 a 2% raise or $0.67 cent per hour raise a 4% raise is huge" noted LEOSU-CA Local 52 President Robert Saenz. "Never before has anyone on this San Diego federal contract ever before received a 4% yearly wage increase".
In addition to the 4% wage increase plus an increase in the Health & Welfare benefits, the LEOSU-CA was successful in increasing the top secret clearance rate from $2.00 to $4.00 per hour and the secret clearance rate from a $1.00 to $3.00 an hour. This is in addition to our 4% wage increase. "Since the majority of the San Diego Paragon Protective Service Officers PSO's work on a site which requires a secret clearance or a top secret clearance this is a major wage increase for our LEOSU-CA Local 52 members noted Yobanny Alvarez LEOSU-CA Local 52 Secretary Treasurer.
Some of the other highlights negotiated included the option to switch from their present healthcare plan to a Kaiser plan this coming January, Cash out of their sick days and vacation. The right to be paid during the interim period during a suspension pending investigation and many other language changes that protect our LEOSU-CA Local 52 members.
A ratification vote of our newly organized San Diego Paragon Systems group will take place shortly. We wish to thank the San Diego bargaining committee as well as Jon Axelrod our General Counsel and Laura Hagan General Counsel for Paragon Systems who participated in these successful negotiations.
If you are a Paragon System Protective Service Officer and would like to find out more about the benefits of joining Paragon Protective Service Officers National Union (PSONU) please contact us toll free @ 877-60-PSONU (877-607-7668) and a Paragon PSONU organizer will be happy to assist you and answer all your questions.
The United Federation LEOS-PBA is made up of several Security & Law Enforcement Unions that have recently merged together. These Unions include:
Federal Protective Service Officers Association (FPSOA)
Law Enforcement Officers Security & Police Benevolent Association (LEOS-PBA)
National Union of Nuclear Security Officers (NUNSO)
National Union of Special Police Officers (NUSPO)
Paragon Protective Service Officers National Union (PSONU)
United Federation of K9 Handlers (UFK9H)
United Federation of Special Police & Security Officers (UFSPSO)