Thursday, January 17, 2007
| JOIN THE POLICEPAY Journal Mailing List | Matt Barnard, Editor | matt@policepay.net | (405) 701-8616 |
This is a quarterly report that shows where the national economy is and what you can expect in the coming months and years. Most of what is being reported by the press concerning recession is categorically wrong. Find out for yourself, by reading this report each quarter. Many cities are now starting to move away from using the last recession as a basis for claiming poverty and are reaching for the next brass ring – the much reported impending recession. Stay informed and you will not be sucked in by the propaganda. You can read York’s Business Cycle Newsletter by going to www.policepay.net and clicking on the link in the publications section or you can access this quarter's report directly by clicking here.
Council Bluffs City Council approves three-year police contract
From The Daily Nonpareil, January 16, 2008
http://www.nonpareilonline.com
The city of Council Bluffs and the local police union have reached an agreement on a three-year contract beginning July 1.
The contract affects 83 full-time police officers. There are 25 supervisors, including the police chief, for a total of 108 in the department.
It calls for a 4 percent salary increase the first year, a 3.65 percent increase the second year that begins July 1, 2009, and a 3.65 percent increase the third year that starts July 1, 2010. The first year wage cost is projected to be $175,500. In fiscal years 2010 and 2011, the increased wage costs are projected to be $168,000 and $176,000 respectively.
Under the current contract that expires June 30, the starting salary for a police officer is $38,173. Under the new contract, the starting salary will become $39,699.
Other economic items agreed to include the addition of a Post Employment Health Savings Plan with a city contribution of $35 per month per employee by the third year of the contract. Clothing allowance has increased $50 per person, said Cindy Lynch, human resources director.
The city also benefits from this contract, she said, in that the union has agreed to modify prescription drug benefits to a three-tiered plan that encourages use of generic drugs and requires an employee co-payment for each 30-day prescription. The co-payment for mail order drugs increases to two co-payments for a 90-day prescription.
In addition, employees have agreed to increases in the percentage that the employee pays toward health care premiums. By the beginning of the third year, employees will be paying 10 percent of the cost of additional dependent coverage, and that is projected to be a savings to the city of $35,000. The police union ratified the contract.
"Both sides worked hard to find something that worked," Lynch said. "The best agreement is the one that arrives at the table as opposed to one that's imposed on you."
The contract was approved by the City Council Monday night.
Champaign Council to consider 3-year police contract
From The News-Gazette, January 14, 2008 By Mike Monson
http://www.news-gazette.com
CHAMPAIGN – The city council will vote Tuesday on a new three-year contract with the union that represents city police.
The contract, retroactive to July 1, calls for annual salary increases of 3.25 percent, 3.5 percent and 3.75 percent. The annual cost of base salaries for police will increase from $6.47 million last fiscal year to $6.71 million this budget year under the pact.
The city's approximately 110 police officers, members of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council, voted last week to approve the contract.
The council will consider the agreement when it meets at 7 p.m. at the Champaign City Building, 102 N. Neil St.
City Human Resources Director Chris Bezruki said city officials are pleased to have reached an agreement.
"We certainly respect and admire our officers," he said. "We have a great force, and they were willing to compromise through this contract negotiation."
If approved, the contract would run through June 30, 2010. Some provisions of the contract include:
– Senior police officers would get an extra 1 percent salary increase at 15 years of service and another 1 percent at 20 years.
– Sergeants with 18 years of seniority will receive an additional 1.6 percent salary adjustment.
– The current work schedule, which calls for officers to work four days a week, 10 hours per shift, would remain in place.
– Officers will receive overtime, at time and a half, when they work more than 40 hours per week. Under the prior contract, overtime didn't begin until after 43 hours.
Mayor Jerry Schweighart said he expects the contract to get council approval.
"Everybody is in agreement on it," he said. "There wasn't a whole lot of controversy."
Arcadia California police, City Council finalize contract
From the San Gabriel Valley Tribune, January 16, 2008 By Robert S. Hong
http://www.sgvtribune.com
ARCADIA - In the end, both sides shook hands and made up.
An acrimonious contract dispute between the City Council and police officers that included a billboard erected by the officers criticizing the council officially ended Tuesday night, with both sides saying no hard feelings remained.
The deal was actually reached Jan. 9 at an emergency meeting with association negotiators, Arcadia Mayor Mickey Segal and City Manager Don Penman.
The contract agreement gives officers a 24.4-percent increase in salaries and benefits over the next four years.
"We sat down with them and brought to the table our long- and short-term goals," association President Troy Hernandez said. "The city took an approach to understanding what the city needs and offered a contract that was a step in the right direction."
In November, officers requested better pay, saying low wages were prompting police to leave the department. Officers insisted they were among the lowest-paid in the area. City negotiators countered that officers' salaries were consistent with those of other city employees.
All that is in the past now, said Segal, who also apologized at Tuesday's meeting for over-estimating officers' salaries by 15 to 20 percent. That estimate came from an erroneous staff report, Penman said.
"We have no labor unrest, and we are certainly very happy we have reached this conclusion," Segal said.
Officers, too, were happy with the outcome.
"We're thankful for the fact that they made an effort toward the safety of this city," association Vice President Mike Hale said.
But police and city officials still must grapple with the fact that the department is down by 14 officers.
"We still have a way to go to build back a full force for our Police Department," Councilman John Wuo said. "It was a big relief for me to have this settled as soon as we could have settled it."
Despite the sniping that went on, Hernandez said he thinks police and city officials will be able to work more closely together in the future.
McAllen city, police union reach agreement
From The Monitor, December 28, 2007
http://www.themonitor.com/
McALLEN -- City leaders and the McAllen Police Officer's Union reached an agreement on officers' salaries, according to a news release the city sent.
McAllen police officers will receive a 1 percent pay raise next pay period, a one-time $400 supplemental check, shift differential pay for the 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. shift and updated service credits, according to the city.
Officers will receive a 4 percent salary increase in October 2008, a 3 1/2 percent increase in October 2009 and the retirement contribution will increase from 6 percent employee contribution and 12 percent city match to 7 percent employee contribution and 14 percent city match, according to the city.
City Manager Mike R. Perez and the union's president-elect McAllen Police Sgt. Eduardo Suarez finalized the contract for police officers on Thursday.
POLICEPAY.NET, Inc. is a consulting firm that has been assisting in public safety contract negotiations for more than twenty years. Wea re not a labor union or a municipal league. We do not replace these organizations or compete with them. We only concentrate on one narrow niche - contract negotiations. By restricting ourselves to this single activity, we have been able to become market leaders for new and innovative approaches to contract negotiations. POLICEPAY.NET offers three levels of service. First, we provide state of the art research that covers market prices, costing, and finances. Second, we teach and assist you in your relationship with the other side, the public, and the decision makers in your community. We teach you how to deal with the expectations of your constituents as well. The third level of service includes us serving as your negotiator throughout the entire process. If you have questions about our negotiation methods or how we can be of assistance to your union, please don't hesitate to call Matt or Ron at (405) 701-8616. |
The Police Negotiator's Handbookby Ronald J. York The Police Negotiator’s Handbook, written by Ronald J. York, provides a straight-forward approach to achieving success during labor negotiations with municipal governments. Upon reading this handbook, you will find that Mr. York’s logical approach to contract negotiations will allow you to set the stage for victory at the negotiating table. The table of contents of this handbook is a step-by-step guide to the negotiations process, with the remainder of the book describing these steps and providing a path to follow throughout the process. If you plan to be involved with negotiating a labor agreement for police officers, deputy sheriffs, or even state troopers, don’t make a move until you’ve finished reading this book. A POLICEPAY.NET, Inc. publication, this handbook includes some of the material presented at POLICEPAY’s live training events. Also included in the back of this handbook is a POLICEPAY.NET discount card, good for discounts off POLICEPAY.NET services and training events. |