County Settles with County Police on 6 Year Contract thru 2014-Raises 3%, 2.75%, 2.5%, 2.5%,2.5%

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WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. (Edited) June 17, 2013:

The rank and file police officers in the county’s Department of Public Safety would be the fifth county union to agree to a labor contract that includes employee contributions to the cost of their health care under terms of a tentative pact between the county and the Police Benevolent Association.

The contract provides for salary increases for police officers of 3 percent retroactive to 2009; 2.75 percent retroactive to 2010; and 2.5 percent retroactive to 2011, 2012, and for 2013 and 2014.

Under the terms of the tentative agreement with the PBA, members will contribute what amounts to about  $1,100 annually in health care for individuals or $3,100 for a family plan.   The proposed contract continues to include other differentials, a clothing allowance and special stipends to employees assigned to the aviation or K-9 units.

A tentative six-year contract, running retroactively from 2009  to the end of 2014, was announced today by  County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Michael Hagan, president of the 265-member union. It now needs to be ratified by the union and then by the county Board of Legislators.

In addition, for the first time all police officers would contribute to the cost of their health care. As such, the union becomes the fifth county union to agree to this concession, something that has been a cornerstone of union negotiations by the Astorino Administration. For current employees, this contribution will cease upon retirement. For all new hires, it will continue even upon retirement. This will begin to reduce the county’s substantial liability for health insurance for retirees.

Upon taking office, Astorino immediately initiated legislation that required nonunion  workers – including himself – to contribute to the costs of what was before that free health care. Since then, agreements have been negotiated with the Teamsters Local 456, the Correction Officers PBA, the  Corrections Superior Officers Association and the New York State Nurses Association.

“This agreement is in the best interests of Westchester County,” Astorino said. “This is a good contract, fair to the union and fair to our taxpayers. I thank Mike Hagan and his negotiating team for their hard work. At the same time I again call on the county’s largest union, the Civil Service Employees Association, to accept a contract where they contribute to their health care costs.”

Hagan said of the contract: “The Westchester County Police PBA is pleased to have reached a multi-year collective bargaining agreement with the County that will bring us current for the first time in nearly a decade.

This agreement is the result of the prolonged, good faith efforts by both sides, and addresses important issues, including health care costs, in a way that is fair and equitable to our membership and the residents that they serve.”

The CSEA has been working without a contract since Dec. 31, 2011.  The other unions still without a contract are the superior officers union for the county police and the union for the investigators in the District Attorney’s office.

 

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