Sheriff Managers Settle Labor Spat for $1.3M

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) - The city of San Francisco will fork over $1.3 million in back pay to settle a labor class action brought by sheriff's department supervisors.

Lead plaintiff and Sheriff's Capt. Lisette Adams sued the city in October 2013, claiming the department cheated managers out of wages for time spent preparing for and attending pre-shift meetings, or "musters."

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the $1.3 million package on Tuesday after initially voting in favor of the settlement on March 8.

Sheriff's supervisors spend 15 minutes in pre-shift musters and about 20 minutes preparing for the meetings, according to the supervisors' original 16-page complaint.

Managers must read emails and memos, speak with outgoing supervisors, review staffing schedules and perform other tasks "integral" to their primary duties in preparation for the musters, according to the suit.

The settlement covers 72 sergeants, lieutenants, captains and deputy chiefs who weren't paid for all hours worked between Oct. 9, 2010 and July 7, 2015.

Although the settlement does not require the city to pay supervisors for time spent on musters after July 7, 2015, the union is pursuing those claims through arbitration, class attorney Philp Monrad of Oakland-based Leonard Carder said.

"We're making significant progress on that and are confident the union will be successful and the supervisor sheriffs will be paid for those two elements of time," Monrad said.

The sheriff's department deferred comment on the settlement to the City Attorney's Office, noting the suit was filed before newly appointed interim Sheriff Vicki Hennessy assumed control of the department in January.

"We think it's a prudent settlement that avoids the costs and risks of litigation," Matt Dorsey of the City Attorney's Office said.

Lead plaintiff Adams, who also serves as president of the Sheriff's Managers and Supervisors Association, did not immediately return an email seeking comment Tuesday afternoon.

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