Water Division employee retention and labor negotiations
Orange
Summary
City water workers said Orange is the lowest-paid city in the area and is losing trained employees to other agencies after spending thousands on certifications. They asked the council to make compensation competitive as labor negotiations continue in closed session.
At a glance
- Total mentions
- 3
- Last 30 days
- 0
Last discussed Mar 10, 2026.
Impact analysis
Competitive pay raises would raise the city's labor costs but reduce expensive turnover and retraining.
City water and public works employees, and residents who rely on reliable water service.
Residents currently face slower service as trained staff depart for other agencies.
Mentions & discussions (3)
Orange City Council — March 10, 2026
A dozen city water, parks, fleet, and maintenance workers told the council they're on strike or losing colleagues to better-paying cities, and asked for a fair contract with competitive wages. Several said they can't keep up with the cost of living on city pay.
Orange City Council — February 24, 2026
City water workers said Orange is the lowest-paid city in the area and is losing trained employees to other agencies after spending thousands on certifications. They asked the council to make compensation competitive as labor negotiations continue in closed session.
Orange City Council — February 5, 2026
Nearly every department head said the same thing: Orange trains good people who then leave for better-paying cities. A classification and compensation study — last done in the early 2000s — emerged as a key fix, with 80 vacancies citywide.
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