Unity for guards

Lauren Vane

Laguna Beach lifeguards and the city reached an agreement in July and

signed a contract for hourly lifeguards, giving seasonal guards a pay

increase and an unprecedented equipment allowance.

In October 2004, Laguna’s seasonal lifeguards became the Laguna

Beach chapter of the Surf City Lifeguards Employees Association

(SCELA).

“I think we’ll have an excellent relationship with the city,” said

Richard Silber, the attorney representing SCELA.

The contract does not include the four full-time employees of the

city’s Marine Safety Department.

Silber, who started SCELA in Huntington Beach ten years ago, said

he believes this is the first multi-city lifeguards union in the

state of California.

The contract for seasonal employees provides for increased pay for

guards with emergency medical technician training, time-and-a-half

pay after working 40 hours in one week, paid time for skin-cancer

screening and a full uniform.

Also included is a $225 stipend for necessary safety equipment,

such as swim fins and sunglasses.

Joining the union has its benefits, said union representative

Ormand Tegland, but the hourly lifeguards regret they had to take

action to ensure fair and safe working conditions.

Before Laguna Beach lifeguards joined up with SCELA, they were the

Laguna Beach Lifeguard Association, a nonprofit formed in the 1970s

with the purpose of educating others -- and themselves -- about beach

safety.

The association began writing to the City Council several years

ago, hoping to address the issue of part-time employees working full

time, Tegland said.

Though lifeguards are happy with the current contract, the quest

for retirement coverage is still unfinished business.

“If they’re going to work people full time, they ought to treat

people like full-time employees,” Tegland said.

City Manager Ken Frank said the equipment stipend for seasonal

lifeguards was a reasonable request, but he feels otherwise about

retirement coverage for hourly employees.

“That’s extremely expensive, Frank said. “It’s likely in a few

years to be 40% of payroll, so that’s a difficult issue.”

The Laguna Beach chapter of SCLEA plans to address retirement

coverage again with the City Council this winter.