Wednesday, June 05, 2013
 
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City approves contract with Fraternal Order of Police

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[June 05, 2013]  Monday evening, the Lincoln City Council approved a new union contract with city police officers.

Prior to the vote, Mayor Keith Snyder outlined some of the highlights of the new contract.

The contract includes wage increases across five years, to begin at 1.75 percent in the first year and top out at 2.75 percent in the fifth year.

The city officers have been working under an extension of their previous contract since its expiration in April of 2011.

During discussion of the mayor's outline, Bruce Carmitchel asked if the pay increases would be retroactive to May 1, 2011, which is the official beginning date of the contract. Snyder said that they would.

For the first year, the increases will be 1.75 percent. In the second and third years, the increase is 2 percent. The increase in the fourth year will be 2.5 percent, and the final increase, in fiscal 2015-2016, will be 2.75 percent.

Snyder said there would also be a change in how health insurance premiums are paid. The city will pay 95 percent of the officer's health insurance premiums, and the officer will pay 5 percent. That condition of the contract is retroactive to May 1, 2013.

For employees who are participating in the city's health savings accounts, the city will contribute $100 per month to their account.

For retirees from the department who are eligible for Medicare, the city will pay 50 percent of their Medicare supplement policy.

The new contract also allows that employees may not accumulate overtime. All overtime will be paid in the next pay period after it is accrued.

Employees may, however, accumulate up to 100 hours of comp time if they choose. Anything over 100 hours must be paid out as overtime to the employee.

Included in the contract is a "fitness for duty" provision that allows the city, if it suspects that an officer is not fit for duty, to require that officer to visit a physician at the expense of the city.

Another area covered in the new contract is reimbursement to employees for damage to personal property. Speaking about the contract after the meeting, Snyder said that the new agreement spells out how much the city will reimburse officers for personal property such as sunglasses, watches or cellphones that are damaged or broken in the line of duty.

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Other items that Snyder pointed out as being important in the new contract include a provision for a change in shifts from nine hours to 12. Snyder explained that this is covered in a side letter agreement to the contract. The city will initiate a 12-hour shift, which will be done for a period of 12 months. During that time, union and city management will review the experience with the shifts on a quarterly basis. The letter also allows that Chief Ken Greenslate may terminate the arrangement at any time if it causes an "increase in overtime, shortage of staff, increased sick leave, reduced productivity, increased citizen complaints or training difficulties."

In an email to LDN, Snyder also mentioned two more key points. "The Chief was given clear authority in the contract to have the final say on shift selection and days off based on operational considerations, qualifications, and seniority, provided his reasons for doing so are not arbitrary or capricious," Snyder wrote.

And finally, the mayor commented on the provisions for lateral hires. A lateral hire is a practice the city has been implementing in the police department for the past year or so. It benefits the city in that the officers who are hired into the department are coming to the city with experience comparable to the position they will be filling.

"The contract removes some prior local restrictions on lateral hires and allows the city to employ any applicant who meets the lateral hire requirements under state law at an appropriate salary, provided that salary is not greater than the base pay established in the contract," Snyder said.

On Monday evening prior to the vote, Snyder told the council that the new contract has been approved by the Fraternal Order of Police and is ready to implement with the city's approval. The motion carried by unanimous vote of 7-0 with Jeff Hoinacki being absent for the evening.

 [By NILA SMITH]

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