Police Contract... will the winers stop whining now?

 Just over a million dollars for three years. I wonder if the overtime will go up or down this year?


FRAMINGHAM – The City and the Framingham Police Officers Union (FPOU) announced that the Union overwhelmingly ratified a new contract (voting 81 to 4), which in part is retroactive from July 1, 2018, and is effective through June 30, 2021. The FPOU has not worked under an active contract since June of 2015, and this would be the first negotiated contract between the City and the Police Officers Union since Fiscal Year 2016. The cost of the new contract over the three-year term is just over one million dollars and includes:

• Effective and retroactive to July 1, 2018, cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) of one percent and change to the salary schedule to add steps at 15 and 20 years of service 
• Four percent base-wage increase (retroactive to July 1, 2019) 
• One percent COLA effective July 1, 2020 
• Paid Educational Incentives effective January 1, 2020 (to amend the current paid education incentives which had been unchanged since 2010) 
• Associates Degree: 10% additional of base pay 
• Bachelor’s Degree: 20% additional of base pay 
• Master’s or Law Degree: 25% additional of base pay
• Paternity Leave (language added to match City policy and comply with state and federal law)

The increases bring the police officers’ salaries up to be comparable with surrounding communities and other similar cities, helping the City attract and retain personnel and addressing the salary disparity issue discussed in the Framingham Police Department Assessment report by J.Flagg Consulting that was completed in 2018.

In exchange, the Union agreed to revamp the use of compensatory time, which will make more officers available to be on the streets of Framingham, reduce forced overtime and better enable the management of time off. In addition, the Union agreed to withdraw two grievances that were slated to head to arbitration this fall, saving many hours of legal and management time and arbitration costs.

“This contract truly has been a collaboration,” said Mayor Yvonne M. Spicer. “It provides fair compensation to the Framingham police officers who protect our residents and City day in and day out while giving our leadership team more flexibility in staffing patrol shifts.”

“This contract, which was ratified with overwhelming support, is the result of intense—but collaborative—collective bargaining,” FPOU President Ryan Porter said. “The willingness of City leadership to reach an agreement through negotiation, as opposed to arbitration, is not overlooked by our officers. This contract stands to ensure that the City of Framingham will continue to receive a high level of quality policing, while encouraging a more educated police force and providing greater opportunity for our officers to maintain a healthy work-life balance.”

Pursuant to the process outlined under Massachusetts law, the contract now must be submitted by the Mayor to the City Council for approval of the funding needed. Assuming prompt action by the Finance Subcommittee, it is anticipated that the City Council will vote on whether to approve the funding at its October 1, 2019 meeting.