Union asks for 11-percent pay increase for city police force

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Typically, parties in contract negotiations are poles apart in their first proposals.

That was true of the City of Mt. Pleasant and the Public Professional and Maintenance Employees, the union, which represents city police officers. Meeting in the initial negotiation session Monday, the union asked for an 11-percent salary increase for city police officers beginning July 1, 2016.

Meanwhile, the city countered with a .75 percent increase effective July 1, 2016; a 1.25 percent increase effective July 1, 2017; and a 1.5 percent increase effective July 1, 2018.

The three-year contract between the city and union expires June 30, 2016, and the city is proposing another three-year contract while the union is asking for a one-year pact.

?It?s early in the process,? noted City Administrator Brent Schleisman. ?We have to strike a balance between the ?wants? and ?cans? and be fiscally responsible to our taxpayers.?

He said he expects the contract to be settled in the spring of next year and doesn?t anticipate any major problems in the negotiations. ?We have had a good relationship in the past,? the city administrator said. ?We never had a lot of major issues and don?t expect negotiations this year to be any different.?

In addition to the 11-percent salary increase for city policemen, the union also is asking for a $100 to be added to longevity pay for police officers and also the addition of a longevity step. Currently, policemen receive $300 per year in longevity pay after five to 10 years; $400 a year after 11-15 years; and $500 per year after 16-20 years. The union is asking for another step for longevity pay after 21-25 years of $700 per year.

Other major items in the union?s proposal include allowing policemen to convert an unlimited amount of unused sick leave to a salary payment. Currently, there is a 30-day limit on sick-leave conversion.

The union also is asking for an article on severance pay whereby employees would receive eight hours per month accumulation commencing with employment, with accumulation up to 240 hours to be placed in a longevity bank. Employees who, on July 1, 2016, have 30 months of service with the city will be credited with 240 hours in their longevity bank. Employees would receive 100 percent of the accumulated longevity bank upon separation of employment. In case of an employee?s death, the employee?s estate shall be paid.

The city is also proposing a change in employee health insurance. Currently, the employee pays 27 percent of the difference between single and family health insurance if an officer desires family health insurance coverage. The city?s proposal includes raising that percentage to 29 percent effective July 1, 2016; 30 percent effective July 1, 2017; and 32 percent effective July 1, 2018.

All future negotiations between the parties will be in closed session. The city police chief and lieutenant salary and benefits are exempt from the negotiations.