Date: Fri 08-Dec-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KAAREN

Quick Words:

police-contract-Stormer

Full Text:

Town Reaches Four-Year Pact With Police

B Y K AAREN V ALENTA

The town has reached a four-year contract with the local police union,

AFSCME-Council Local 15-3153, which includes a three percent salary increase

each year.

The contract is retroactive to July 1, 1995, when the previous three-year

contract expired.

The salary increase was reduced slightly by changes in the group health plan

premiums and other givebacks. The net increase averages 2.716 percent a year

over the life of the contract.

The Board of Selectmen unanimously approved the contract, which has been

ratified by the union, at its meeting Monday night. The Legislative Council

Wednesday night transferred $38,798 from contingency to the police

department's salary account to cover the cost of this year's salary increase

for the 35 officers. The contract still must be signed by the town and the

union.

"This contract was a win for both sides," said First Selectman Bob Cascella.

"It's a good contract for our police officers and a good contract for the

town."

"Both sides were reasonable in this difficult negotiation," said Selectman Jim

Mooney. "I was pleased with the give and take on both sides. I think it is an

excellent contract."

Sgt Henry Stormer, president of the local police union, said the police

officers agreed to a four-year contract "because we thought it would be better

for the town."

"With all the capital expenditures that the town is facing for sewers, schools

and the library, we thought it is best to get past those expenditures before

negotiating again," he explained.

Under provisions of the new contract, the police union members will pay an

extra $2.50 per week for group health in three of the contract years,

increasing their contribution to the plan from $20 to $27.50 per week. There

will be a deductible increase of $50 for both individual and family effective

July 1995 and 1996, and a co-pay increase which will rise to $3,500 over the

next three years.

"We were satisfied with that because we will stay out of a managed care plan,"

Sgt Stormer explained.

Although the clothing allowance will increase to $400 effective July 1996, new

recruit uniforms now will be the responsibility of new police officers. Sgt

Stormer said the current $300 a year clothing allowance had not changed since

1977 and is far below the amount given to police officers in other area towns.

The contract includes life insurance equal to one year's salary with a new

maximum of $50,000 effective July 1995. Employees hired before 1988 will lose

one personal day beginning in 1998; all employees then will have two personal

days per year.

The contract set the amount of money police officers can earn working special

duty assignments at $25 per hour. Previously the rate had varied depending

upon the officer's salary and an administrative fee also had been charged by

the town, boosting the rate to as high as $45 an hour and prompting the Board

of Education to hire private security guards instead of police officers for

some events.

"This was a change that the police union proposed because state law says the

schools have to hire uniformed officers," Sgt Stormer said. "There also is new

contract language so that if there is a complaint about performance on these

side jobs, the complaint can be investigated and a police officer could be

suspended from the side job rotation for up to six months."

There were also changes in grievance procedures, layoff procedures and other

contract language.

"There were many, many changes in contract language so that the union and the

town will have a better understanding of the contract," Mr Cascella said. "In

the past there were many grievances due to vague language and gray areas."

"This is the last of the five union contracts that the town has to negotiate,"

Mr Cascella said. "We negotiated three contracts last year and the highway

department and police contracts this year. I don't perceive us as having to

negotiate again for a while."

Settlements for the other contracts averaged 2.86 percent.

In other action Wednesday night, the Legislative Council approved the transfer

of $22,355 from the selectman's salary adjustment account to cover the cost of

salary increases for non-union town personnel including department heads, the

police captain, two administrative assistants in the first selectman's office,

the assistant finance director, two registrars of voters and part-time

employees in the Senior Center and tax assessor's office. These raises ranged

from 2.8 to 3.2 percent per employee depending on their performance

evaluations, Mr Cascella said.

Council Vice Chairman Melissa Pilchard said state employees averaged a 1.7

percent salary increase this year. She also pointed out that police officers

receive step increases for longevity in addition to the overall salary

increase.

While not objecting to the salary increases for town employees, Mrs Pilchard

said a previous court case had demonstrated that if money is placed into

contingency for salary increases, the council cannot deny the increases

awarded by the Board of Selectmen.

"The selectmen could agree to a 20 percent salary increase and if the money is

there, in the budget, we would have to fund it," she said. "Perhaps we should

re-think in the future the amount that is put into contingency."