 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] |
