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Police to 9.7% raise over 3 years, first two years retroactive.

City dramatically upgrades its investment in police education.

Annual tuition reimbursement pool to soar from $1,500 to $25,000 -- maximum of $3,000 per officer.

Detective overtime to be paid in cash instead of time-off.

Agreed-upon settlement to be voted on by police for possible Council approval February 5.

By John F. Bailey

CityLine: January 9, 2001, City Hall

George Gretsas, Executive Officer for the Mayor today, outlined the key terms of a new 3-year settlement reached between the city and the White Plains Police Benevolent Association that he announced Friday.

Mr. Gretsas in a statement to WPCNR said that the police settlement is in line with the other union increases granted by the city, "maintaining parity."

The pay increases for the years 1999 through 2001 total 9.7% for "White Plains Finest."

The breakdown: the police will receive a 3% retroactive raise effective July 1999, a 3.2% retroactive to July 1, 2000, and on July 1, 2001, the police will receive a 3.5% increase. Gretsas told WPCNR that the 1999 increase is the same pay hike enjoyed by the fire, CSEA and teamsters unions. The 3.2% for 2000 is the same as the teamsters and the CSEA. The 2001 "kicker" is the same increase recently won by the Civil Service Employees Association in negotiations completed in November, 1999. The Fire Department and the Teamsters are now in negotiations for their 2001 contract, Gretsas said.

Tuition Reimbursement Pool soars from $1,500 a year to $25,000 a year

The city has dramatically increased its pool for tuition reimbursement for police officers as part of the new contract, Gretsas reported. Currently the money the city pays for tuition assistance to cover all police and firefighters is only $1,500. Gretsas said that "in a good will gesture," the city is forthwith increasing this amount to $25,000 a year with the new contract. Gretsas said the maximum tuition reimbursement to any one police officer is $3,000.

This tuition fund is available only to police officers.

Detectives to get paid cash for overtime, not time off.

Other features of the new deal, according to Gretsas are a change in the way overtime is paid in the detective division.

Under the old contract, detectives were paid back in time off, when they worked overtime. Under the new agreement, overtime will be paid in cash at "time and a half."

Other benefits negotiated are small increases in longevity, increasing July 1st, 2000 by $175, and in the benefits plan, the city increases its payments to the union for benefits by $50 in 1999, $75 in 2000, and $175 in 2001.

Asked about the "badge drain" problem cited by the police union as being directly related to pay and time off, Gretsas commented that the badge drain was directly related to the high caliber of officer in the White Plains Police Department. "We train them well, they are very marketable and other communities try to steal them from us. We love the White Plains Police. We think they do a great job. (The tuition increase) It's something the city feels we can do."

Contract to be voted on by police.

Jim Carrier, head of the White Plains PBA union, negotiator of the settlement for the police was in the field when WPCNR attempted to contact him. We hope to speak with him about the settlement.

Paul Wood, Economic Development officer for the city, thought the police would take a vote within the next two weeks, enabling the Common Council to vote on the settlement at their February 5 meeting. If the city follows the pattern they did with the CSEA settlement, checks might be mailed to police in March.

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