Sheriff's Association Alleges Retaliation Threats Against Contra Costa Co. Supervisors In Federal Lawsuit
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY (KCBS)— The Contra Costa Deputy Sheriff's Association is filing a federal lawsuit against county supervisors for alleged comments they made in relation to a controversial pay raise the supervisors have since rescinded for themselves.
The Sheriff's Association was part of a labor coalition campaign to force county supervisors to rescind a 33-percent salary increase that should have gone into effect this month. County supervisors rescinded the raise last week, but the Sheriff Association's labor relations specialist Jim Bickert said the lawsuit isn't about the raise itself.
"It was about the retaliation that was directed at us for even participating in the petition gathering process to begin with and that retaliation was that they would seek retribution against us in the next round of collective bargaining," Bickert said.
He said that sort of threat would have brought on a lawsuit whether they rescinded the raise or not.
Meanwhile, county supervisors are not commenting on the federal lawsuit, but are still trying to figure out how to increase their pay.
