At its Nov. 16 meeting the Van Buren Township Board of Trustees approved a new four-year contract with the Police Officers Labor Council which represents the patrol officers and dispatch employees.
The current POLC contract will expire Dec. 31. The new contract runs from Jan. 1, 2022 to Dec. 31, 2025.
The township board went into three, sessions closed to the public during negotiations.
After the board took action on the contract, POLC president Adam Byrd thanked the board on the vaccination agreement and said the union, as well as the board, had a hard discussion and got to middle ground and came to a decision.
Changes in the new contract include the following:
• Police officers will be required to pass firearm qualification annually as determined by MCOLES instead of the employer. Qualifications take place annually and the township will supply the ammunition required;
• Seniority shall be determined as the length of service from the last date of hire into a bargaining unit position. Police employees shall acquire seniority upon completion of their probationary period of one year which shall date from the original date of hiring. Dispatch shall acquire seniority upon completion of their probationary period of one year, which shall start on their swear-in date;
• At all times the township will maintain at least three patrol cars. It used to be two on days and three on nights;
• Police officers shall not be required to handle animal complaints historically handled by the animal control officer unless it is an emergency;
• The employer shall post and email all open positions and assignments at least 14 days from filling that assignment. Also, all dispositions for internal investigations shall be concluded within a timely fashion. Also, in imposing a disciplinary penalty, the employer will not take into account any prior oral reprimand that was issued more than one year earlier and any prior written reprimand that was issued more than three years earlier;
• Added the Recruiting Unit and Accreditation Unit to the list of specialized assignments that can be used in determining promotions;
• An employee shall not work more than 18 hours for the township in a 24-hour period, which begins when an employee starts working. There must be at least an eight-hour break before an employee can start another shift of employment with the township. Full-time employees shall be compensated from their original start time without penalty from taking the eight-hour break. Also, if management elects to extend a shift without using the overtime roster, the employee with the least hours shall be asked if they wish to have their shift extended. If that employee turns the overtime down, the next in line will be asked until the list is exhausted in which case the employee with the lowest hours will be ordered;
• Wages were set for full-time patrol officers and dispatch: annual salary based on 2,184 hours will go from $60,169.20 ($27.55 per hour) for probationary officers in 2021 to $64,795.65 ($29.67) for probationary officers in 2025. Patrol officers with 48 months and one day on the job will go from $71,263.92 ($32.63) in 2021 to $82,115.49 ($37.60) in 2025. Dispatcher wages go from $21.12 per hour for probationary status in 2021 to $29.10 per hour for dispatchers with 48 months and one day of service in 2025;
• Management has discretion to hire new employees at a higher rate of pay based upon previous MCOLES certified law enforcement experience. This shall not impact seniority or any other paid time off;
• Full-time employees will receive four personal leave days annually. It was three days in the expiring contract. Sick time is extended to any immediate family member. Compensatory time will have a cap of 84 hours, instead of the current 72 hours;
• The employer will grant a three-day leave with pay for two employees to attend the Police Officers Labor Council Conference, up from two days;
• The employer will provide life / accidental death and dismemberment insurance of $50,000 to full-time police, up from $45,000 in the last contract. Full-time dispatch will get $50,000 in insurance coverage, up from the previous $25,000;
• The employer shall be required to contribute a minimum of 13% (up from 12%) in addition to the 13% contributed by the employee to the MERS pension plan. The employer shall fund any amount above the 26% as required by the MERS pension plan.
Letter of Understanding on vaccinations
A letter of understanding on COVID-19 vaccinations, signed on July 30, 2021, is attached to the contract.
Union employees had until Sept. 16 to provide proof of vaccination. Any union members with shots received a $500 incentive bonus. In the event there is 100% compliance, another incentive of $250 each will be paid.
Union members that receive an inoculation that results in any side effects shall receive up to two sick days not charged to their sick bank and may be allowed additional time depending on verification from the member’s physician. That section expired Oct. 1.
Those not receiving the vaccination will have to wear masks, maintain social distancing, be tested every seven days at the expense of the employer, and non-compliance may result in discipline.
Any other matters that arise from COVID-19 and are not spelled out in the letter of understanding shall be negotiated.