Deputy group pushes Pima County to raise on-call, shift pay | Top Stories

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) – A Pima County sheriff’s deputy organization is hopeful the county will set aside well over one million dollars next week to improve employee pay.

County Administrator Jan Lesher is asking for a review of on-call pay and shift differential pay for employees county-wide, including at the sheriff’s department. 

The leader of the Pima County Deputy Sheriff’s Association told News 4 Tucson that the department’s on-call rate is $1.30 per hour and lagging well behind competition in the region.

“Currently we are at the bottom. There is another neighboring agency that is at the bottom with us for on-call, but their shift differential is a little higher than us. For shift differential, we are at the very bottom of the market,” Tyler Rivas, chairman of the association, said.

Shift differential pay is when employees working off hours are better compensated, such as those who work overnight. Rivas and the association are welcoming a county review of on-call and shift differential pay rates.

A memo from County Administrator Jan Lesher said the review is aimed at ensuring on-call and shift pay are “equitable, competitive and operationally effective,” pointing to recruitment and retention challenges. Rivas said one of the reasons their staff leaves the sheriff’s department is to find better pay.

He estimates bringing on-call and shift pay up to competitive levels would cost more than $1.5 million.

“It would greatly impact a lot of people. When we are on-call we are with our families, so if you can increase that I think a lot of people are more apt to be on-call,” Rivas said.

Rivas told News 4 Tucson he’s not aware of any opposition from county leaders so far. The issue could come into focus during next week’s final budget hearings on June 23.