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NEW POLICE
CONTRACT: Strong pay gets stronger An arbitrator evaluating a new four-year contract for Las Vegas
police officers sided with management in a decision released late Saturday. The arbitrator, who had considered dueling proposals from the
Las Vegas Police Protective Association and the governments of Clark County
and the city of Las Vegas, selected the governments' offer to raise salaries
and benefits by 21.8 percent over the next four years. The union, which
represents 2,600 Las Vegas police and corrections officers, asked for a 26.5
percent hike. "The county is interested in compensating our police men
and women. ... Even with this decision, they will be well compensated,"
County Manager Thom Reilly said after receiving word of the arbitrator's
decision. Reilly said the contract contains the largest increase Clark
County has awarded an employees union. Before the arbitrator ruled, police wages in Las Vegas,
Henderson and North Las Vegas already were among the best in the country,
according to newly released figures from policepay.net, a
consulting company that compiles information on salaries and benefits from
police contracts at the nation's 200 largest departments. When the cost of living in each community is taken into account,
the salaries of officers in Las Vegas ranked 14th highest among the 200
departments based on salary data from the Las Vegas police contract that
expired in June, according to policepay.net's latest figures, which do not reflect the new contract
approved Saturday. After the new contract is implemented, the department is
expected to rank higher on the list. Police salaries in North Las Vegas were third highest of the 200
behind only those in Austin, Texas, and Omaha, Neb., and police salaries in
Henderson ranked 10th highest when each community's cost of living is considered,
according to policepay.net. When looking state by state at police salaries in those 200
cities, salaries in Nevada are second only to California's, according to policepay.net.
And among 17 large and medium Western cities selected by the Review-Journal
for comparison, policepay.net figures also placed the Southern
Nevada jurisdictions high, all among the top six in cost per employee,
compensation per hour worked, or hourly compensation adjusted for cost of
living. Las Vegas city and county officials offered no apologies for the
salaries they pay police and dismissed suggestions that the police officers'
union would oppose their re-election if they challenged the officers' salary
demands. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman said the on-duty shooting death in
February of Las Vegas police Sgt. Henry Prendes
underscored for him how "priceless" police officers are to the
community. "I don't see anything wrong with it (high police salaries).
I am delighted with the service we get from our police officers,"
Goodman said. "They're priceless. I really believe that. When you look
at a situation like the one with Sergeant Prendes,
it puts things in perspective." Henderson retiree Donald McDonald, who co-authored the ballot
argument against Measure 9, the 2004 advisory question that county voters
narrowly approved and that led to an increase in the sales tax in October to hire
hundreds more officers across Southern Nevada, said the high salaries are a
waste of taxpayer money. Also, he pointed out, the high salaries paid to officers in
Southern Nevada undermine each police department's ability to hire the
maximum number of officers possible with the Measure 9 quarter-cent sales-tax
hike. Obviously, he said, the higher the salaries, the fewer officers who can
be hired with the same funding. "I don't think paying someone more money makes them any
better. I don't think there is a correlation between what you're paid and how
hard you work. If we paid them twice the wages, they are not going to be
twice as good," McDonald said. "If we paid them half as much, would
they put in only half the effort?" Las Vegas city and county officials said their constituents
insist that public safety be the priority for local government, that a
quality police force is pivotal in protecting Las Vegas' tourism, that the
high salaries help prevent police corruption and that wages are comparable at
all Southern Nevada police departments. But they were short on explanations when asked why police
salaries and benefits cost taxpayers here as much as 46 percent more than
they cost taxpayers in other Western cities, such as Salt Lake City,
Albuquerque, San Diego, Phoenix, Seattle and Denver, based on policepay.net
figures. County commissioners Rory Reid, Chip Maxfield,
Yvonne Atkinson Gates and Lynette Boggs McDonald and Las Vegas City Council
members Lois Tarkanian, Steve Ross, Lawrence Weekly
and Gary Reese either didn't return a phone call left at their office or
couldn't be reached for comment last week. Carole Vilardo, president of the
Nevada Taxpayers Association, said last week she was too busy with association
business to review the police salaries or to be interviewed. When asked why Las Vegas needs to pay its officers more, County
Commissioner Tom Collins, a former state lawmaker, on Tuesday said, "I
don't know" before he abruptly hung up the phone. "There are a lot of communities in this country where cops
are on the take," Collins said. "That has never been the case in
Nevada. Our cops are highly skilled and highly trained and deserve everything
they get." Commissioner Bruce Woodbury acknowledged that police salaries
have been a concern of county officials because the ever-increasing costs are
taking tax money from other public services. But when asked why Las Vegas pays more for police officers than
other Western cities, Woodbury said, "I can't answer that directly other
than to say we want to get as good of a handle as we can on the (budget)
balancing act." He went on to say, "We have a unique community and we have
to deal with our needs here and we have to attract competent people to the
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department ... but we can't have an open
checkbook." California-based arbitrator Douglas Collins ruled Saturday on
police contract proposals that were debated in courtroomlike
fashion during three or four days of closed-door deliberations before him in
January. One was presented by the Police Protective Association. The
other was proposed by Clark County and the city of Las Vegas, which jointly
fund the department's budget. The two proposals included an annual cost-of-living raise of 3.5
percent that is retroactive to July 1, when the former contract expired. The new contract is expected to cost taxpayers in unincorporated
Clark County and the city of Las Vegas about $50 million before the pact
expires in June 2009. "I think it is a positive if we, as a state, and we, as a
city, are ranked in the top 10 percent of compensation packages. I think that
is a positive," Las Vegas City Councilman Larry Brown said before the
arbitrator's decision. "If you downgrade the compensation package, then
you run the risk of getting a lower quality of officer." Brown said the city doesn't expect the higher costs associated
with the new contract to lead to budget cuts or layoffs at the police
department or with any other city service. A recently submitted police budget
proposal for the fiscal year that starts in July includes a 17 percent
increase in costs over the current year's budget. The councilman said public safety always has been the city's
priority, and other "discretionary" city programs could be cut or
have their budgets reduced if more tax money were needed for the police
department and officers' salaries. McDonald said that officers are making far more than the average
worker in Southern Nevada and that all public-sector salaries should be tied
to the salaries of local taxpayers who pay the government and police
salaries. "There should be some relationship between the compensation
the average taxpayer receives and the wages that the police officers
receive," McDonald said. "When you put a pencil to that, it's all
out of whack. They (police officers) have gotten at least one-third more than
the average taxpayer." When looking at salaries and benefits for police officers in 17
Western cities, the hourly compensation of an officer in Las Vegas, Henderson
and North Las Vegas were the highest when each community's cost of living was
considered, according to policepay.net. With the cost of living in Southern Nevada factored in, the
average hourly compensation for those three departments ranged from a low of
$49.85 an hour in Las Vegas up to $53 an hour in North Las Vegas. The wages
in Las Vegas will jump after the new contract is approved. Policepay.net calculates that figure based on
the local cost of living relative to the national average. Because the cost
of living in Southern Nevada is slightly higher than the national average,
the adjusted hourly rate for local police is somewhat lower than the actual
hourly compensation. Actual compensation is $59.73 in North Las Vegas, $57.36 in
Henderson, and $56.18 in Las Vegas. Both hourly and adjusted figures are for
hours actually worked by an officer, after deducting sick, holiday, and
vacation hours. The figures also include any shift pay, uniform allowance,
pension contribution, health insurance and "other" benefits
officers receive, according to policepay.net. Of the 17 communities from Albuquerque to Seattle and from San
Diego to Boise, Idaho, the fourth highest hourly wage was paid in Reno,
according to the Web site. When looking at the total cost to taxpayers of a police
officer's salary, pension and health coverage, the three Southern Nevada communities
and Reno were four of the six most expensive. The Web site states that the total cost of an average Las Vegas
officer is $95,867, which is 37 percent higher than the same costs in Boise;
42 percent higher than in Salt Lake City; and 46 percent higher than in
Albuquerque. Of the 17 Western cities selected by the Review-Journal, the
three Southern Nevada communities were in the top four for the annual cost of
an officer's pension. The $17,080 average annual cost of a Las Vegas
officer's pension was the highest of the 17 departments looked at by the
Review-Journal. That expense will grow under the terms of the new contract. State lawmakers last year mandated that public employees and
their government employers share equally a 3.5 percent increase in
contributions paid annually on behalf of employees into the state Public
Employee Retirement System. However, in the case of the Las Vegas police contract,
management already has agreed to pay for the entire increase rather than have
the officers pay half of it. Conversely, of the 17 Western cities used for comparison, the
$4,817 cost that the Las Vegas police pay annually for an officer's health
coverage was the lowest. Along with cost-of-living raises, the primary dispute that held
up the Las Vegas police contract talks for 10 months before they were sent to
arbitration was the officers' demands for better health coverage, sources
close to the talks have said since late last year. Under the union proposal that was considered by the arbitrator,
the 2004 cost of an officer's health coverage was expected to nearly double
in the final year of the new pact. Review-Journal writer Brian Haynes contributed to this story. Nevada police lead in cost-of-living-adjusted pay Department....Hourly rate**....Average hourly adjusted for local
cost of living North Las Vegas....$59.73....$53.00 Henderson....$57.36....$50.90 Las Vegas*....$56.18....$49.85 Reno....$53.00....$48.53 Tucson, Ariz.....$46.38....$48.11 Phoenix....$46.41....$47.35 Denver....$48.32....$46.96 San Bernardino, Calif.....$55.14....$46.69 Spokane, Wash.....$47.47....$46.40 Seattle....$54.02....$45.97 San Francisco....$69.58....$45.77 Portland, Ore.....$49.89....$44.23 Salt Lake City....$38.78....$40.36 Boise, Idaho....$38.25....$39.93 Los Angeles....$58.60....$37.78 Albuquerque, N.M.....$35.48....$36.46 San Diego....$46.85....$31.85 *Las Vegas figures are based on police contract that expired
June 30, 2005. A new contract, ruled on by an arbitrator Saturday, calls for
a 21.8 percent increase in salary and benefits over the next four years. **Total annual compensation divided by hours actually worked. Source: policepay.net Las Vegas police rank sixth in base pay Department....Average annual base pay 1. San Francisco....$87,601 2. Los Angeles....$73,161 3. San Bernardino, Calif.....$69,707 4. Henderson....$69,627 5. North Las Vegas....$66,692 6. Las Vegas*....$65,612 7. Denver....$65,057 8. Seattle....$64801 9. San Diego....$63,999 10. Portland, Ore.....$61,903 11. Tucson, Ariz.....$61,452 12. Reno....$58,698 13. Spokane, Wash.....$57,152 14. Phoenix....$55,853 15. Boise, Idaho....$48,315 16. Salt Lake City....$47,482 17. Albuquerque, N.M.....$43,117 Las Vegas police rank fifth highest in cost per officer Department....Total cost per employee 1. San Francisco....$117,601 2. Henderson....$102,180 3. North Las Vegas....$101,886 4. Los Angeles....$97,285 5. Las Vegas*....$95,867 6. Reno....$94,779 7. San Bernardino, Calif.....$94,685 8. Seattle....$93,595 9. Portland, Ore.....$86,125 10. Denver....$85,882 11. Tucson, Ariz.....$85,185 12. San Diego....$83,763 13. Phoenix....$83,203 14. Spokane, Wash.....$81,142 15. Boise, Idaho....$69,885 16. Salt Lake City....$67,276 17. Albuquerque, N.M.....$65,272 *Las Vegas figures are based on police contract that expired
June 30, 2005. A new contract, ruled on by an arbitrator Saturday, calls for
a 21.8 percent increase in salary and benefits over the next four years. Source: policepay.net Sergeant to lead police union in talks From the
Seattle Post-Intelligencer, March 6, 2006 For more than a quarter-century, Rich O'Neill has been a Seattle
police patrol officer and sergeant, working closely with the rank and file. Now, he'll speak for them. The 26-year department veteran was elected president last month
of the 1,400-member Seattle Police Officers' Guild. Presidents serve two-year
terms. The North Precinct patrol sergeant officially took over March 1,
replacing the former president, Sgt. Kevin Haistings,
who did not seek re-election. Haistings had been
vice president of the guild and took over when former guild President Ken
Saucier died July 21, 2004. Saucier was driving on Interstate 90, heading
home from a shooting contest in Idaho, when he drove into the median,
overcorrected and rolled the pickup truck he was driving. Idaho State Patrol
investigators believe he fell asleep at the wheel. O'Neill is taking the helm of the guild two months before
negotiations begin on a new contract. The last contract was renewed in December 2004 and was ratified
only after officers agreed to pay part of their health costs and accept the
creation of a voluntary mediation process for citizen complaints against
officers. The discussions did not go easily, and during the negotiations
the previous contract expired, leaving officers without a contract for nearly
two years. O'Neill has hopes the upcoming talks will go more smoothly. "We should be able to sit down and find common ground on
our differences," he said. O'Neill and the guild's negotiation team likely will deal with
calls for additional civilian oversight, brought in part by growing community
pressure. Complaints against police officers are investigated by the
Office of Professional Accountability. Investigations are conducted by
detectives, supervised by a civilian director. The chief makes the final
decision on discipline. But the work of the OPA is reviewed by
a three-member civilian review board, and it has called for more access to
internal investigation files. The guild and O'Neill are opposed, arguing that the board has
enough information to do its work and that the risk of revealing the
information of officers involved in the investigations is too great. O'Neill worked for several months as an OPA
investigator in 2001 and 2002. Investigating co-workers is never easy, and O'Neill did not seek
out the position. He was involuntarily transferred to it. "It was very frustrating," he said. "I know what
it feels like to have your whole life uprooted." The experience of being moved from a job he liked to one he did
not want has made it easy for O'Neill to relate to the group of sergeants and
a detective recently told they would be involuntarily transferred. The group included
experienced homicide, robbery and gang detectives, most
with more than 20 years on the job. The guild is working with police management on those involuntary
transfers, though to date none of the six men has been moved. But if there is anything that affects morale, it is staffing,
and O'Neill said he plans to bring that topic up as often as he can. The
guild points out that the number of officers in the department, around 1,200,
has not increased since the early 1970s, despite the fact that the population
of Seattle has grown, as have 911 calls for service. "To me, coming from patrol, it's a huge issue," he
said. The department also now has many specialty units, which draw
their staffing from within the ranks of the patrol officers, O'Neill said. "It has watered down the 911 responders," he said. O'Neill plans a survey of all the officers and sergeants in the
guild, hoping to have results before contract negotiations begin. "We haven't surveyed our members in a long time," he
said. "It will be interesting to see what they have to say." THE NEW GUILD HEAD Sgt. Rich O'Neill is a former military police officer who joined
the Seattle Police Department in 1980. He has been assigned to the South,
West and North precincts, worked traffic in DUI enforcement and was an
investigator with the Office of Professional Accountability. O'Neill is
married with four children. Chick echoes
budget worry From the LA Daily News, March 3, 2006
City Controller Laura Chick echoed the mayor's budget concerns
Thursday, saying officials must make tough decisions in the upcoming 2006-07
spending plan to avoid a financial crisis and have enough money to tackle
crime, traffic and other problems facing the city. "The city's propensity to spend in excess of its revenues
could create a crisis unless we develop an effective method of keeping the
budget within the city's revenue generating capacity," Chick wrote in a
letter to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. The controller's economic forecast was in lockstep with Villaraigosa's insistence that overspending needs to be
curbed so new money can be found for the wish list of services - from hiring
more police to fixing traffic congestion to repairing swimming pools. On Wednesday the mayor vowed to take drastic steps, including
layoffs or fare hikes, if necessary, to close what's projected to be a nearly
$300 million shortfall for the 2006-07 fiscal year that begins July 1. Chick said pay raises for city employees can only be considered
after the long-term costs of providing city services are factored in. "Everyone in the city who's been paying any attention knows
we need more police officers. Everyone knows we have a transportation
problem. That's not the same money, that's more money," Chick said. "What the leadership of this city needs to keep its eye on
is the cost of both continuing to provide existing service, to expand service
where it's needed and necessary, to improve service ... and to continue to
look for ways to solve the very serious problems in this city." But leaders of the city's employee unions cast doubt on the
seriousness of the problems outlined in Chick's report and the mayor's budget
assessment Wednesday, noting that contract negotiations are just starting up.
Many union leaders said they've seen the same dire predictions
before at the start of budget talks, only to find surplus funds by the end of
the year. "I don't think things are quite as bleak as the mayor and
the controller are portraying them to be," said Bob Baker, president of
the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which started negotiating a new
contract three weeks ago. He questions why the city approved a lucrative pay raise for
Department of Water and Power workers five months ago if money is so tight. "If they feel that, then why did they approve the DWP contract? If you're doing that for one bargaining
unit, essentially they've opened up the door to what people believe is the
benchmark." The controller's annual forecast said that while the city has
enjoyed a healthy revenue stream in recent years, it's been using the extra
funds to shore up a budget shortfall - a practice that shouldn't continue. Chick projects 2006-07 will be another good fiscal year - though
growth will come at a slower pace - and is counting on $3.9 billion in
revenues. That's slightly more than the mayor projected and $164 million
beyond this current fiscal year. But she cautions that the sizzling real estate market that
helped counter past budget shortfalls will cool in 2006, and the city needs
to sock more money into reserves to plan for uncertainties. She suggests upping
reserves from 3 percent today to 5 percent. She further points to vast policy challenges that lie ahead -
from building affordable housing to creating decent jobs for young people who
aren't graduating from high school. Chick also said the city needs to improve land use, bringing in
retail centers that generate sales-tax revenues being lost to surrounding
communities. On Wednesday the mayor outlined an ongoing structural budget
deficit that's being fueled by expanded employee rolls, employee health care
costs and a tripling of pensions to a projected $600 million this coming
year. He said the deficit could grow to $450 million by 2010 if left unchecked,
but he pledged to reduce it in five years. Economists generally agreed with the controller's outlook,
saying the city needs to prepare for the slow-down of the real estate market
that will weigh on the regional economy. "Our forecast is sort of the party's over," said Ryan
Ratcliff, an economist for the UCLA Anderson Forecast and among those who
brief the controller. "It's not just about living within your means. It's about
knowing the economy's going to slow in the future. If we don't put some money
away now, we're going to experience a real fiscal pinch." Jack Kyser, chief economist for the
Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., welcomed the fact that the
mayor and the controller are on the same page - which he said hasn't been the
case in past administrations. "Both the mayor and the controller are calling for
common-sense caution when dealing with the financial situation. Right now the
outlook is good. But you don't want to be carrying an ongoing deficit,"
he said. "Of course you have the unions knocking on the door wanting
more money. The unions tend to look at the city as a bottomless piggy
bank." But union leaders downplayed the predictions. "At the beginning of a round of negotiations, there's
always this specter raised," said Robert Aquino, executive director of
the Engineers and Architects Association. Firefighters union President Pat McOsker
noted Chick reported $125 million in revenue this current fiscal year beyond
initial projections. "That's the kind of thing we tend to notice," he said.
But Chick and Villaraigosa's office
insist the problems are real. "This isn't a hoax," Chick said. "This is reality
based talk and telling the truth to the public." Police,
Hollywood contract talks falter and raise possibility of 1-year pact From the Sun-Sentinel, March 3, 2006 Hollywood · Contract talks between the city and the police
department are going so poorly that both sides said they are considering
trying to reach a one-year deal rather than the normal three-year agreement. Neither Furr nor Giulianti
are involved directly in contract negotiations, but the City Commission could
be forced to impose a contract if negotiations reach an impasse. "Maybe it's time to impose a one-year contract and see what
the picture will be next year," Giulianti
said. Troopers
lobby for pay increases From the Gainesville Times, March 9, 2006
Georgia State Patrol troopers filled
the halls of the State Capitol on Wednesday to thank lawmakers for their
proposed pay hike and seek more help in order to remain competitive with
other law enforcement agencies. The House Appropriations Committee on
Monday approved a 2007 budget that includes a 7 percent pay hike for troopers
and other public safety officers. The proposed budget also calls for hiring
and training of 50 new state troopers. "We're excited about the 7
percent. It's long overdue and we're looking forward to getting more in the
long run," said Trooper John Crawford, who is assigned to the state
patrol's Gainesville post. Crawford, who has 12 years with the
patrol, said troopers who have fewer years of service are leaving for better
pay. Andrew J. Pavliscsak, a retired trooper who is
a vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said that 66 troopers have
resigned in the past two years to join other agencies. "It costs $80,000 to train a
trooper, get him equipped and on the road," said Pavliscsak.
"That's over $5 million to the state in lost services." Pavliscsak said that the patrol is understaffed by 200 positions and that
troopers have to pursue violators in vehicles that have nearly 150,000 miles
on the odometer. "The troopers have given and
given through the lean times," he said. "Now, the money is there
and all we're asking is to get the patrol back to where it ought to be."
Pavliscsak said the starting salary for a trooper is $31,000, while some
police and sheriff's departments are offering starting annual pay around
$35,000. "We need a pay plan in place to
give Georgia troopers $40,000 a year after five years of service," he
said. The FOP lodge for troopers was formed
last fall, as state officer's frustration grew. The organization has hired
lobbyists at the Capitol and today off-duty troopers, like Crawford, met
one-on-one with lawmakers. "I'm coming down to the end of
my road with the state patrol," said Master Trooper Allen Campbell, a
25-year veteran. "But the young guys are leaving because the retirement
is not as good. When you can go somewhere else and get better retirement and
pay, it doesn't make sense to stay." Troopers say that while the starting
pay is not far from other agencies, the difficulty comes in obtaining
increases after joining the force, other than through promotions. Gainesville troopers said that the
local post is staffed at the same levels as in 1975. In addition, the patrol
post closes at 11 p.m. nightly due to staffing shortages. After 11 p.m.,
calls to the Gainesville post are routed to Athens. Police
contract disputes thawing Talks underway; resources added From The Boston Globe, March 5, 2006 With Medford's police unions and the city moving to resolve
their long contract disputes and the mayor promising more patrol officers and
new cruisers this year, Police Chief Leo Sacco is
expecting the tense atmosphere that has led to spats between officers to
finally dissipate. Sacco said he thinks frustration and anger over the three-year
stalemate and a lack of manpower and resources have helped touch off two
confrontations. In December, two detectives brawled outside the station; one
had to be treated at a hospital. In February, two officers got into a heated
exchange in the department dispatchers' room. The chief said that despite the issues affecting the department,
officers continue to do their jobs effectively. Safety on the street has not
been compromised, he said. But improving morale and increasing resources, he
said, will lead to even better results. Some resolution of the issues may be forthcoming, the chief
said. Last Tuesday, representatives of the Medford police superior
officers union met with city officials and an independent arbitrator to begin
the process of brokering a deal. In April, representatives from the
patrolmen's union will do the same. ''We are hoping that by this summer we will have contract[s] in
place," Sacco said in a telephone interview last week. Also, Richard Lee, an aide to Mayor Michael McGlynn,
said last week that the mayor is planning to allocate money to hire seven
officers and buy six cruisers. Lee said that the new cruisers ought to be on
the streets later this spring, and that the new officers ought to be part of
the department by this summer. The number of officers has dwindled from 132 in 2001 to 109.
Sacco said some have retired and others have gone to better-paying police
departments. Four more are expected to retire this spring, he said. ''We need more personnel to respond to calls," Sacco said,
''and we need people on the streets, because just being visible deters
crime." The chief and others also said the officers' cruisers need
updating. ''The heat in my car only works on high," said Officer
Harry MacGilvray, president of the Medford Police
Patrolmen's Association. ''For the police, the cruiser is our office, so to
have a car that doesn't work right is like sitting in an office eight hours a
day with a broken chair." The department also wants more money to maintain its station,
Sacco said. ''We need a building that is sound," he said. ''One that
has heat in the winter and cool air in the summer." Lee said the needs that have developed with the police and other
city departments are the result of a period of fiscal austerity and rising
municipal costs. ''It's a question of resources, of fixed costs versus
discretionary spending," he said. Part of the problem is diminishing aid from the state, Lee said. In 2002, the city received $28.5 million in state aid; this
fiscal year, the state gave the city just $20.9 million, Lee said. Lee said that the city typically uses that money to fund various
municipal positions, and that as a result of the drop in funding,
many city departments have seen positions go empty for years. ''State assistance has not been there for the last five years or
so," he said, ''and it's been very tough to balance the books." Then, there are the rising costs of health insurance and pension
payments. And, Lee said, utility bills are expected to increase 20 to 30
percent this year. ''The strain on the city's budget has been intense," he
said. Nevertheless, Lee said, the city has resolved its contract
disputes with every department except the police. Lee said the city offer to
the police is ''consistent with other offers that were . . . accepted by the
other [five] unions." Patrolmen's union lawyer Alan McDonald said one sticking point
in negotiations has been the city's reluctance to offer a pay increase to
patrolmen in the first year of a three-year contract, opting instead for a
lump sum payment that would not be figured into patrolmen's pensions. MacGilvray said his
union would continue to fight for a better package. ''The city can find money for all their special projects. They
just can't find the money to fund our contract in a timely manner," he
said. A number of other city officials are watching developments. Last month, after a report surfaced about the argument in the
dispatchers' room, the city councilors passed a resolution asking Sacco to
come see them. The council wants to know if the officers are being
disciplined, and if so, who is doing it. Last week Sacco said the ''incidents" are mostly a matter
of venting frustration after a long winter, and an even longer contract
negotiation, and are not affecting the job his officers do on the street. ''I get letters all the time, from people telling me what a good
job the police are doing," he said. |
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