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The
Police Negotiator's Handbook
POLICEPAY.NET
SERVICES (Click on service name for information and
pricing) The Police Negotiator's Handbook, by Ron York, POLICEPAY.NET president
is now available. This book
is presented in the six stages of Negotiations. Stage One – Research Evidence Stage
Two – Develop Argument Stage
Three – Create Key Relationships Stage
Four – Generate Public Support Stage
Five – Plan Strategy Stage Six –
Negotiate Deal Negotiations are about persuasion. If you want a
handbook that is brief and to the point, Proposals for
police contract go to arbiter From the Advocate, July 30, 2007 County denies
deputies raise request From The
The president of the Jefferson County Association of Deputy
Sheriff’s said it was the first time in history that he could remember the
commissioners denying a proposal brought to them by their own committee. “Their committee offered us an 18 percent increase,” Eichelberger said. “Some of our employees pay is 20 to 30
percent behind other agencies, but 18 percent is a good place to start. I
always thought you were supposed to bargain in good faith.” Prior to taking the vote on the raise increase, Eichelberger asked the commissioners to consider offering
more competitive pay for officers to keep deputies from leaving the
department for local police positions. “Our deputy sheriffs need a pay raise,” Precinct 2 Commissioner
Mark Domingue told Eichelberger
and his peers. “I want to support our deputies, but I cannot support an 18
percent raise.” Domingue said he did
not feel like the committee considered the pay averages at the five police
departments located inside the county before making an appropriate
recommendation. According to Eichelberger, however,
lumping in all of the local police department averages is unfair to deputies. “We do not lose deputies to the smaller departments,” he said.
“We train deputies and then they leave and go to either the Port Arthur
Police Department or the Beaumont Police Department for better pay.” He added that like PAPD and BPD, the
sheriff’s department offers 9-step raises, while the
smaller departments in the county offer 5-step raises. “We just want to make it more competitive to keep good
officers,” he said. “These are the people who provide security for Both Precinct 4 Commissioner “Bo” Alfred and County Judge Ron
Walker supported the 18 percent raise proposal. “This thing is like an illness,” Commissioners approved a 5 percent pay raise for themselves last
year after a public outcry over their initial 18 percent raise request,
bringing their salaries up from $73,362 to $86,508. The sheriff’s deputies must now bring a new raise proposal to
the commissioners for approval. Police negotiations hit roadblock From the While the association claims to be at an impasse with the city, "We're in negotiations," said Randy Narramore, interim city administrator. "They have
not officially declared an impasse with us." Dan Weast, MPOA
president, said the opposite. "We're at an impasse," he said. "We're working
outside of a contract. When we will go back to negotiating, I have no
idea." Attorney Richard Kreisler, hired to
negotiate with the union, said the 81-member association has not filed a
written notice of impasse or asked to meet with the city administrator, steps
required by the city to declare formal impasse. Because they are law
enforcement, no strike is eminent. "That the POA has rejected the last city offer is
accurate," he said. Since the last contract expired in December 2006, the city and
the association have failed to reach an agreement, Weast
said. "We were looking to get our medical benefits increased, and
our salary increased to be comparable to other (cities' departments),"
he said. Weast said the
city offered the officers a $5,000 "retention incentive" - a
one-time payment for 2007 - and a chance to go back to negotiating the next
year, terms the MPOA rejected. Narramore declined to
discuss details of the negotiation process because "we're still
bargaining with them. The rules are, we keep negotiations private," he
said. Weast said "Going another year without a salary increase puts us that
much more behind," he said. "We're going to pursue getting a good contract," added
Michael Bergman, MPOA board member. Kreisler said the
city's offer took "good steps" in offering the $5,000. "The city has offered to spend over $400,000 in the
2007-2008 fiscal year," he said. "That's equivalent to about a 7.5 percent pay raise (for
the officers)." He said the city made a good-faith proposal, despite having
serious financial issues. "The POA should be focused on the overall financial
situation in the city," he said. "Every time you give a pay raise to a group as large as the
POA, there is a dramatic impact on the city." MPOA members said
the current salaries could negatively affect the quality of the department. If salaries are not competitive with neighboring police
departments, Bergman said, "Over a period of several years, if your salary will only
attract the lower end, it will reflect on an organization's ability to serve
people," he said. Bill Molinari, Montebello City
Councilman, concurred that negotiations are ongoing. He said the matter is
still under closed session. "The council is precluded from discussing closed-session
matters until they're concluded," he said. "Once we resolve the
issue we'll be happy to comment on it." Narramore was mad the MPOA had gone to the press and said that while the
association declared an impasse two weeks ago, it had since come back to the
table. "I want to keep it very professional," he said City reaches contract deal with
police From the More than a year after the Details of the new contract will
be released late next week but is a welcome step forward for the two sides.
Negotiations began in May 2006. Since then, issues over salary and medical
benefits were not resolved. The police department decided to bring in
mediation on Oct. 11. The City Council will vote on the proposed contract on
Tuesday, Aug. 14. “It’s always a positive thing
when a labor group reaches a contract agreement,” said Lt. Noreen Hanlon.
“It’s always a morale boost.” The two sides made the agreement
on July 18. The police association had until Friday, July 27 to vote on the
agreement, which was approved. City Manager Connie Jackson
confirmed the contract is going to the City Council but said she could not
release details. The proposal is very similar to
the updated agreement with the public safety and mid-management group, said
Human Resources Director Tami Yuki. That proposal included a
three-year contract from July 2006 through June 30, 2009; a lump sum
agreement instead of retroactive pay; and about 24 percent increase in salary
over the term of the contract, said Yuki. Reaching the agreement wasn’t as
difficult as getting to the table, said Mayor Larry Franzella.
It was resolved quickly once both groups were able to meet, he said. This means the city only has one
group without an updated contract — the management group. |
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