City of Long Beach Reaches Tentative Three-Year Labor Agreement with IBEW

Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - The City of Long Beach has announced a tentative three-year labor agreement with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), which represents City employees in the Skilled and General Basic and Supervisor Units.

According to Mayor Rex Richardson, this agreement recognizes the value of the dedicated City employees who provide essential services to keep Long Beach running every day. He also stated that it supports the City's ability to recruit and retain a skilled workforce while delivering high-quality services to the community.

The tentative agreement reflects a strong partnership between the City and IBEW, as well as a shared commitment to providing fair and competitive compensation in today's challenging labor market. It includes general salary increases totaling 9% over a three-year term for all represented employees. This approach not only ensures fair compensation for retention and recruitment purposes but also helps maintain the City's competitiveness as an employer of choice.

The agreement also provides long-term workforce stability and ensures continuity of essential City services. Along with improved hiring practices, it demonstrates the City's commitment to retaining current employees, attracting qualified candidates, and maintaining a strong workforce despite a challenging fiscal environment. The City has been working to fill critical positions for service delivery response, and with the recent passing of charter amendment Measure JB in November 2024, hiring has been expedited to an average of 90 days. Additionally, local job preferences have been implemented, and the vacancy rate has decreased from 24% to 17%. However, continued progress depends on offering competitive wages that can attract top talent and retain experienced employees amid strong competition from other jurisdictions.

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The multiyear financial forecast accounts for this action, with smaller increases in the current year and larger increases in the out years aligned with revenue growth. With this agreement, the recently adopted Fiscal Year 27 Budget remains structurally balanced.

In addition to salary increases, IBEW has agreed upon a new annual Winter Holiday Closure that will generate cost savings for the City. Non-critical and/or non-essential City services, as determined by the City Manager or appropriate appointing authority, will close annually between Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Employees not required to work during this period will take unpaid Authorized Leave or use accrued paid leave such as Vacation, Personal Holiday/In-Lieu Holiday, and Banked Time-Off. This holiday closure is consistent with other local governments that implement similar periods of holiday off times, such as the cities of Fullerton, Santa Ana, and Westminster, and is expected to generate savings for the City.

City Manager Tom Modica stated that this agreement reflects the productive collaboration between the City and IBEW throughout the bargaining process. He also emphasized that it provides meaningful investments in employees while supporting a skilled and stable workforce capable of delivering essential services to the community.

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The tentative agreement also includes a three-year contract term from Oct. 1, 2026, to Sept. 30, 2029, with general salary increases of 2% in the first year, 3.5% in the second year, and 3.5% in the third year. It also updates skill pays by adding classifications to current skill pays and modifies special compensation provisions such as Uniform Allowance, Free from Duty Rest Periods, and Boot Allowance.

Other notable terms include increased Compensatory Time Off (CTO) allowing employees to bank overtime up to 120 hours; converting the Temporary Vacation Accrual Maximum cap to a Permanent cap for permanent full-time and part-time employees; and carrying over funding for the Education Assistance Program.

Prior to reaching this agreement, representatives from both parties held four meetings since April 2026. On Sept. 1, 2026, members of IBEW voted to ratify the agreement. It will be presented to the Long Beach City Council for consideration on Oct. 6, 2026. IBEW represents approximately 874 employees.

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