City inks new police accord
By Susan Frick Carlman scarlman@stmedianetwork.com February 19, 2013 8:56PM
Updated: March 23, 2013 6:06AM
Naperville police are working under a contract again.
City Council members Tuesday night approved a three-year collective bargaining agreement with Fraternal Order of Police Lodge no. 42 that provides 4 percent raises for all 131 sworn police officers, retroactive to last May 15, no raises in the second year of the contract and 2 percent wage hikes when the next budget year begins on May 1, 2014.
The rank and file’s last accord expired April 30, 2012.
Former Council member Dick Furstenau, who addressed the group, was critical of some aspects of the accord, including a “step” feature that increases compensation by about one percent annually. He said the pay hikes add up to around 9 percent over the course of the contract.
“In this day and age, that’s too much,” Furstenau said.
Officers also will begin paying 20 percent of the cost for their health insurance coverage, but not until November 2014. City Council member Doug Krause thought the contribution should kick in sooner.
“To me it’s supposed to be fair and equitable to all the employees … With a 4 percent increase, they should be contributing to their hospitalization (insurance),” he said.
Councilman Joe McElroy pointed out that the lack of a raise in the second year will probably encourage some officers nearing retirement age to go ahead and turn in their badges, since their pension benefits won’t grow with their incomes stagnant.
“We do believe that the zero percent second year increase will have that effect,” said City Attorney Margo Ely, who noted that the replacement of the retirees with lower-paid new hires will translate to some $25,000 in cost savings per officer.
