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Posted by: Barbrady

Brockton police brass win big pay hike

By Jennifer Kovalich, Enterprise staff writer
BROCKTON — Although city councilors say tough financial times may be looming, they approved a new $959,500 pact for the police supervisors union Monday night.

“We're heading down that road. This contract doesn't make it any better,” said Councilor-at-large Thomas Brophy.

Police supervisors will receive a nearly 15 percent increase over five years.

The City Council voted 10-0 in favor of the new contract, some members saying the concessions the city gained through the negotiations outweighed the risk of layoffs or reduced services next year.

Brophy, who last week at the Finance Committee voted against the contract, said future cost savings, especially in terms of medical benefits, swayed him to support the contract.

The police supervisors union, which is part of the Laborers International Union of North America Local 1162, is the first city union to have its medical contributions increased by 5 percent. That means employees will pay 30 percent toward their medical costs, with the city picking up the remaining 70 percent.

The benefit will not kick in until all city unions agree to negotiate that same change into their contracts. But if they do, the city is expected to see a cost savings of $750,000 at current rates for those employees, according to the city's finance department.

The city also picks up some cost savings when patrolmen are promoted to sergeants.
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The contract includes a new pay rate for new sergeants. During the first year of a promotion, a new sergeant will be paid at a rate of 8 percent less than the current rate. In the second year that figure changes to 4 percent less than the current rate. Without any educational incentive, the new pay rate is expected to save the city $8,000. If the newly promoted sergeant receives an educational incentive, the savings are estimated to be about $10,000.

The city is also expected to save about $10,000 in overtime by making a supervisor position at paid details the work of a civilian employee instead of a police officer, according to information from the finance department.

Ward 7 Councilor Chris MacMillan did not vote on the contract as he is a member of the same union. MacMillan works at the city's wastewater treatment plant.

Ward 6 Councilor Michelle DuBois also reversed her vote from last week, also voting in favor of the new pact on Monday.

DuBois had verbally sparred with city Chief Financial Officer John A. Condon last week and had voted against the contract during the Finance Committee meeting.

DuBois mainly took issue with Condon recommending the City Council support the contract although he did not certify it over concerns that funding the pact could affect the level of services the city offers.

DuBois on Monday night said she still had a concern with how the contract was negotiated.

“I think there is a problem when you have one person negotiating the contract which is the CFO who will not certify the contract,” DuBois said.

The contract includes rolling back residency to seven years for all officers first hired after Jan. 1, 1996.

Two of the union's 36 members, both sergeants, are required to live in the city based on Brockton's residency requirement.

Jennifer Kovalich can be reached at jkovalich@enterprisenews.com

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Posted by: futureMSP

The city is also expected to save about $10,000 in overtime by making a supervisor position at paid details the work of a civilian employee instead of a police officer, according to information from the finance department.

I don't get it...

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