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UPCOMING
POLICEPAY.NET SEMINAR’S CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS - May
1st Los Angeles Area CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS -
May 3rd San Francisco Area
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SERVICES (Click on service name for information and
pricing) Police
officers OK 9% pay raise 1-year deal includes revision in benefits From the UNION-TRIBUNE,
April 11, 2007 Health benefits also are revamped under the contract, which
Mayor Jerry Sanders is expected to announce today. Negotiators from the Mayor's Office and the police union have
worked on the deal since mid-January. It came together Monday, thanks to some
last-minute concessions from both sides. Six percent of the pay increase – the first raise issued by the
city in about two years – kicks in July 1. Two percent will be added at the
end of the year. About 80 percent of the officers are eligible for the final 1
percent, which is based on a formula that factors in education and
experience. While the increase to pay and benefits will cost the city about
$16 million starting July 1, Sanders expects to save about $3 million
annually by consolidating health care plans and eliminating a workers'
compensation benefit for police. Mostly, though, the mayor said the agreement should offset an
ongoing recruitment and retention problem within the Police Department. “I'm happy we have a contract, but this was market-driven,”
Sanders said yesterday from his office. “I think we've made some pretty good
strides in moving the officers up, competitively, with other agencies.” The agreement comes as Sanders prepares to announce his $2.88
billion operating budget Friday. He is balancing that budget, in part, by
eliminating 369 vacant positions and laying off 302
employees. The police union initially asked for a 14 percent raise,
according to the mayor, who said his first offer was pretty close to what was
agreed to. “I wanted the officers to know I was serious. Our goal was not
to play games,” said Sanders, who was the city's police chief from 1993 until
1999. For the last two years, police have had one-year contracts
imposed on them. “I felt we needed an agreement,” Sanders said. “A lot of
citizens have told me public safety should be your No. 1 priority, you're
losing a lot of cops and services aren't the same.” So Sanders signed off on the final 1 percent Monday, the same
day the union agreed to drop a benefit that covers police financially if they
hurt themselves while working out on their own time. The perk has cost the
city $15 million in claims since 1999. The concessions were the final pieces to a deal that union
leaders took to their members yesterday in five separate meetings, most of
which were standing room only. More than half of union's 1,900 members voted on the contract,
which passed with an 85 percent majority, said Sgt. Bill Nemec,
union president. “The negotiations were tough,” Nemec
said. “But both sides were committed to do what was best for the city and for
the officers.” Some of the rank and file saw the deal as a positive first step. “There wasn't anyone cheering or anything,” said Sgt. Bob Dare,
who was at the first early morning session, which drew about 100 officers. Sgt. Dan Ellison, who was impressed with the contract, said the
past few years for police officers had been as bad as he's seen it. “I hope this is a shot in the arm for morale,” he said as he
stood outside the police union headquarters in Kearny Mesa. Detective Sgt. Jim Arthur said that considering the city's
financial situation – which includes an unfunded liability of $2.4 billion
for pension benefits and retiree health care – he had no problem with the
proposal. Officer Jeff Jordon, a union board member and a member of the
negotiating team, said the proposal sent a message that the city and the
mayor were serious about retaining officers. Fully-staffed, the Police Department employs 2,108 officers, but
only 1,874 are on the payroll. In the past eight months, the department has lost 129 officers,
including 54 who took jobs with other law enforcement agencies, said
assistant chief William Maheu. The contract should help offset some of the department's
recruiting and retention problems, Maheu said. “I'm ecstatic,” he said. “Obviously, it's not perfect. But
you've got to do these things one step at a time.” Although the deal appears to close the gap on some of the issues
police have, the agreement could lead to a new set of headaches for Sanders
and his negotiators. Unions representing deputy city attorneys and firefighters are
expected to wrap up contract talks with the city this week. Two others, the
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 127 and
the Municipal Employees Association, are entering the final year of their
deals. Local 127 and MEA members, the city's blue-and white-collar
workers, will receive a 4 percent raise July 1, the beginning of the city's
new fiscal year. Both unions, however, have a clause in their contract that says
if another bargaining unit gets a higher raise, they can force the city back
into negotiations. Howard Guess, president of MEA, declined to comment last night
because he hadn't seen the agreement. Joan Raymond, president of Local 127, said the police raise was
“great for them, but I think our people deserve just as much of a raise as
the police,” Raymond said. “We took a 2 percent pay cut two years ago to help
the city out.” Frank De Clercq , vice president of the firefighters union, said he's not
impressed with the deal. Along with the police contract, the mayor plans to unveil his
public safety budget proposals today. About $571 million will be spent on police and fire during
fiscal 2008. That's about 9 percent more than the current year. The Police Department is slated to get $390 million, compared to
$360 million during the current fiscal year. The bulk of the increase covers
the pay and benefit increases for officers and other police personnel. The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department would receive about $181
million under the mayor's proposal, compared to $170 million this year. About
$5 million has been set aside for equipment upgrades, and most of the rest is
being used to cover an increase in retirement and retiree health care
contributions. That means nothing is left for pay raises. Fire officials said the department still needed about $12.5
million for repairs and maintainance at fire
stations and lifeguard facilities. The only unmet need facing the Police Department, Maheu said, was hiring more personnel. “The one thing I want more than anything else is people,” he
said. Tentative
pact reported for metro police, city From the Union negotiators for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police
Department and the city have hammered out a tentative contract -- the first
contract for the newly merged law enforcement agency. It gives no salary increase for 2007 but includes increases for
the next three years of the four-year contract: 3 percent in 2008, 4 percent
in 2009 and 5 percent in 2010, according to an update posted on the police
union's Internet site. Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 86 represents about 2,300 active
and retired law enforcement officers from Those agencies merged Jan. 1. Contract negotiations began in 2005 and have been contentious.
Among the issues were retroactive pay for 2006 and achieving pay parity
between city and county officers. It was unclear Monday whether or how those
issues were worked out. The FOP Internet update says the terms would be effective
retroactively to Jan. 1 upon passage by the membership, but it did not
indicate when there would be a vote. Messages left for FOP President Aaron Sullivan and Kevin Murray,
legal adviser for Marion County Sheriff Frank Anderson, were
not returned. Parking
changes irk police union The city's 'hostile stance is unreasonable,' the union president
says. From the YOUNGSTOWN — The president of the Youngstown police patrolmen's
union describes contract talks as "terrible," specifically saying
the city administration's decision to eliminate most of the patrolmen's
parking spots at the city hall lot as "an indication as to how bad
negotiations are going." The Youngstown Police Association, representing 117 patrolmen,
not only filed a grievance over the city's decision to take away 18 of its 28
spots in the lot on the corner of West Boardman and Hazel streets, it took
the city to court seeking a temporary restraining order. Magistrate Eugene J. Fehr of The union's contract expired Nov. 30, 2006, and the parties are
far from an agreement, said Edward Colon, YPA
president. Mayor Jay Williams said negotiations are
"progressing." Both sides agree the union's contract calls for the city to
provide "free, secure and ample" parking for the patrolmen. For the
past nine years, those parking spots were in the city hall lot. But that has changed. What happened The YPA received letters Jan. 21 and
March 19 from Sean McKinney, the city's buildings and grounds commissioner, that its members were no longer permitted to
park in the lot and any unauthorized vehicles would be towed. A grievance
filed by the union was rejected. The city backed off from its original position and is permitting
the YPA to keep 10 parking spots and unauthorized
vehicles won't be towed while the matter goes to arbitration, Williams said.
The city recently erected signs for the former YPA
spots designating them for other departments. The city made improvements, including fencing and a security
system to stop unauthorized access, to its parking lot on Because the city guarantees free parking to about half of its
city hall employees, it is reconfiguring the city hall lot to add more spots,
Williams said. That will enable more city workers to park in that lot instead
of having the city pay monthly fees for them to park elsewhere, he said. Spots in the city hall lot are needed during peak work times
between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., and police officers who work during off-peak hours
can park there, Williams said. Effort seen as insult "We thought the decision was a little unprofessional,"
he said. "I'm disappointed with the way they treated us. To take a
hostile stance is unreasonable. It takes away our sense of belonging to the
city that they would do this to us. It creates a morale issue. It's a shame the city took such a hard stance."
The patrolmen are required to carry their gear and duty bag,
including their weapons, to work each day, "I reject claims of mistreatment out of hand. There are 100
free spots two blocks away at the city annex lot," Williams said.
"There's a difference of opinion here. Seeking a restraining order was
the most disappointing thing." The city is doing nothing to mistreat or disrespect the
patrolmen, Williams said. Arbitration Also, the union and the city will go to fact-finding, scheduled
for May 7, to resolve the contract dispute, The parking issue "sets the tone for negotiations and
fact-finding," Mike says
exodus talk just a cop out It's a tough job, but there's no NYPD flood to nearby towns From the DAILY NEWS, April 7th 2007 It's harder to be a cop in "There's no question it's easier to be a police officer
outside of the NYPD than in," Bloomberg said on his weekly WABC-AM radio show. "The NYPD is the most demanding
police department in the world. That's why it's the best." Bloomberg said a "handful" of cops leave each year for
suburban police departments, but he insisted neighboring departments are too
small to absorb a large number of city cops. "If [suburban departments] pay so well, people that get
there aren't going to retire," Bloomberg said. "So, this business
that everybody is leaving for these other police departments is just a bunch
of PR." But a spokesman from the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association said
more than 4,000 "experienced and expensively trained" cops resigned
from the NYPD during the past five years. "That's resigned not retired,"
the spokesman said. Meanwhile, Bloomberg acknowledged that NYPD officers are
increasingly turning down promotions to sergeant because the pay raise isn't
big enough. Under the contract imposed by a state arbitration panel in 2005,
rookie cops are paid $25,100 a year while in the academy. Their maximum base
pay tops out at $59,588 after seven years. Sergeants earn just $61,093 - not even $2,000 a year more to
compensate them for the increased responsibilities. "Perhaps some people say, 'Well I don't want the extra
responsibility.' So, fewer people are taking" the sergeant's exam,
Bloomberg said. Bloomberg said he could not explain why a smaller percentage of
cops passed the Feb. 3 sergeants exam, as compared to the last exam in
December 2003. But the mayor insisted the city will not ease its standards. "We want the best trained police officers - the public has
a right to them," he said. City caps
week of police raises The City Council agreed to a 25 percent pay raise for officers
over the next two and a half years. A memorandum of understanding signed with the Salinas Police
Officers Association will give them a 5 percent pay increase retroactive to
April 1, then additional 5 percent raises every six months through the end of
2009. Additionally, effective in July, officers with 20 years of
service with the Police Department will get an additional 5 percent bonus. The Friday move follows a City Council decision Tuesday to
approve a separate MOU approved by the police management
union granting near-identical raises to police management, including deputy
chiefs, commanders and sergeants. Chief Dan Ortega is not included in this
group. All told, the raise agreements reached this week will cost the
city $4.5 million through the duration of the pacts. Under the agreement with the police officers union, annual pay
for an entry-level officer will jump from $63,690 to $77,760 by the end of
2009. At the top level, annual pay will rise from $81,648 to $99,240. "If you're a good, competent, well-trained officer, we want
to keep you and attract more," said Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue.
"You have to pay well to attract the type of officers with the standards
we have." Officials from both police unions could not be reached late Friday
afternoon. The raises will be built into the city's general fund. "It's a stretch, but we can make it," City Manager
Dave Mora said of the costs. "But we have an excellent police force and
have to remain competitive." The terms of both unions' existing MOUs
were good through the end of June, but competition from nearby agencies
helped drive the early agreements. A city staff report cited hefty pay raises
of more than 15 percent given last fall by the city of The city staff report notes it will take at least 12 months - or
two of the scheduled raises - before Mora said several of the vacancies could soon be filled by
officers now in training and prospective officers undergoing background
checks. Donohue said the police force plays a vital role in city safety.
"We're talking about community safety," he said. "A strong law
enforcement capability is a part of that," he said. |
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