LAKELAND, Fla. — Lakeland Police officers are joining police officers in cities across Florida in asking their employers for "pandemic pay" — hazard pay for working with the public during the coronavirus crisis, not knowing who may be carrying the virus.
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Nick Marolda, president of the West Central Florida Police Benevolent Association, the union representing Lakeland officers, sergeants and Lieutenants, sent a letter containing the request to Lakeland’s City Manager, Tony Delgado, on Monday.
“Anything is better than nothing in my opinion,” said Marolda. “I’m not looking to bankrupt the city — it wasn’t a demand. It was an ask."
"And if they could find some money in the budget and if it was for a short amount of time — I’m not talking about for months at a time," he explained. "This would start back sometime in March, a date that we can agree on, and it would sunset when this pandemic eases and is over, which we’re hoping is not going to go into the summer or fall.”
Delgado said he’ll review the union’s proposal when he receives it. If granted, however, he said it would have to include all first responders in the city, as well as electric utility workers and solid waste workers.
To that end, Delgado said it would be tough to find the money to pay hundreds of workers additional pay for an unknown length of time.
“If this was like a hurricane and I knew we’d be done in two weeks I could probably find something,” said Delgado, referring to money in the budget. “But today, knowing we’ve already been at 30 days. We can be another 30, 60, no one can tell me exactly when. It’d be very difficult."
It’s the reason Rep. Darren Soto (D-9th District), among others, are pushing for an allocation of funds for hazard pay in the next relief package.
“We’re advocating for first responders because they’re on the front lines caring for our most vulnerable and they’re at risk for the coronavirus," said Soto. "So we need to make sure that as they’re putting themselves at risk, they get the hazard pay they deserve."
If nothing comes from Congress, Delgado said the ball is in the union’s court to come up with a proposal that’s feasible.
Marolda acknowledged this is bad timing considering the department is at an impasse with the city over contract negotiations. The officers' contract expired September 30, 2019.
Negotiations have been stalled due to union and the city being in disagreement over what would be a reasonable raise in pay.