Should airport police and fire personnel fall under the government-wide law enforcement officer pay plan, or the airport’s compensation plan?
Based on airport officials’ testimony during a public hearing on Friday, it depends on the situation.
A.B. Won Pat Guam International Airport Authority representatives testified in support of Sen. Jesse Lujan’s bill that would clarify that airport police officers and airport rescue and firefighter personnel are certified technical professional employees that should be part of the GIAA pay plan.
In his testimony, GIAA Executive Manager John Quinata said in 2008, airport police and firefighters were made part of the government law enforcement officer pay plan when legislation was passed for a 40% across-the-board pay raise.
In 2009, the GIAA board of directors adopted a unified pay scale for certified technical professional employees but in 2010, opted not to include police and firefighters until such time that their salaries under the 40% law enforcement officer pay raise fell below the airport pay scale salary levels.
In 2022, Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero approved a new 18% increase in the law enforcement officer pay plan, and Quinata said GIAA implemented the LEO raises in January.
He said they are fully accounted for in their budget with no impact on the general fund since the airport generates its own revenue.
The purpose of the bill then is to clarify that airport police officers and airport rescue and firefighter personnel fall under the airport certified technical professional pay plan, which the board is required to update every three years.
The bill states that while the airport board has the authority to adjust compensation for certified technical professional positions, including the airport police and firefighters, the law enforcement officer pay plan restricts the GIAA board from migrating them to the CTP plan.
The bill would make it clear that the airport board could include them in future pay scale adjustments.
There are currently 57 airport police officers and 37 firefighters.
The airport also employs 27 security guards to augment the law enforcement personnel.
Quinata said the clarification to include airport law enforcement officer personnel in any future salary adjustments is important.
“We lost about 64 (LEO personnel) in the last five years to the federal government, Camp Blaz, Navy, Andersen,” he said. “They’re just taking our officers because of better retention pay.”
By: Nestor Licanto
Source: Pacific Daily News