San Bruno, police union at impasse

San Bruno Police Association President Thomy Ledesma could not immediately specify the group’s specific financial asks, but emphasized that police officers, dispatchers and records employees were asking for competitive pay in the high-cost area to keep staff and adequately serve the community. 

Ledesma warned that there were 10 to 11 police department staff leaving or thinking of leaving by this year, either because they were retiring or simply fed up with the lack of a new contract. In addition, the police currently respond to any call, even if it’s not a criminal matter, a practice that may no longer be possible if they don’t receive what they’re asking for, Ledesma said. 

“If we don’t get what we’re asking for, I think the bottom line is the community is going to go without a lot of services,” he said. “We’re a department right now that responds to literally everything.” 

San Bruno’s 2025 base salary for police officers sits at $112,254 and is at the lower end of the county pay spectrum for sworn officer jobs. Other smaller cities like Burlingame have salaries in the $111,000 range. South San Francisco’s base salary sits at $117,561, and other larger cities like San Mateo and Daly City are paying starting officers nearly $30,000 more than San Bruno. 

San Bruno has been negotiating new contracts with five separate bargaining units that represent the city’s workforce, including police and fire, since August 2025. All five contracts expired Dec. 31, 2025, the city’s press release said, and agreements have been ratified with three of the five groups, including fire and the civilian bargaining units. 

Mediation between the city and Teamsters Local 856, the union representing the police unit, has been ongoing since January. Because the parties were unable to reach resolution and an impasse has been declared, the union can request additional review by a third party fact-finding panel, according to the press release. 

“We remain committed to a respectful and transparent bargaining process that balances the interests of employees, residents, and the long-term health of the organization,” City Manager Alex McIntyre said in the press release. “We continue to be available, and it is our hope that the City and Union can reach an agreement soon.” 

Originally, conflict between the union and the city stemmed in large part from ​​San Bruno’s compensation policy, which states that San Bruno “strives to maintain” its employee compensation within the 75% percentile of the labor market, finances permitting. Though McIntyre said previously finances were not permitting, Ledesma said it was surprising to hear that goal was unobtainable. 

While the negotiation process has been frustrating, with little end in sight, Ledesma said he’s grateful for the support of the community. 

“We have not gotten any negative feedback from our community,” he said. “It’s been nothing but positive — people reaching out, ‘What can we do?’”