Prospect, police union agree on three-year contract

0
178

PROSPECT — After nearly a year of negotiations, the town’s police union has its first contract.

The Nutmeg Independent Public Safety Employees Union signed a three-year agreement with the town this month.

The contract, which is retroactive to July 1, 2017 and runs through June 30, 2020, covers the 17 part-time police officer positions at the Prospect Police Department.

Until last year, the town’s only union, which has existed for around 20 years, was the public works union. Now, all employees, other than part-time seasonal workers, belong to one of four unions. The town’s employees and supervisors also formed unions.

Mayor Robert Chatfield said the police contract, which was the last one the town approved, is similar to the contracts for the other three unions.

Under the contract, officers will receive a 3 percent wage increase the first year. Chatfield said that increase was built into the 2017-18 budget even though the town and the union were still in negotiations to avoid having to come up with funds for back pay.

Officers will receive 2.75 percent raises in each of the last two years of the deal, according to the contract.

Under the contract, officers are allowed to take on extra duty, which is above and beyond their normal scheduled shifts. If the extra duty is for a contractor, like a utility company, officers will be paid $54 an hour until June 30, $55 an hour between July 1, 2018 and June 30, 2019, and $56 an hour between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020. If the extra duty is for the town, officers will be paid $51.50 until June 29, 2020.

Since all the officers are part time, the town doesn’t offer them health insurance.

Chatfield said the contract is fair for the town and the officers because the officers not only face danger but have to keep up with constantly changing federal and state laws.

“Every time they go out the door they are putting their life on the line not knowing what is going to happen,” Chatfield said.

Todd Brouillette, a police officer in Prospect and the union president, was pleased with the contract.

“I believe it is a fair deal for the officers and a fair deal for the town,” Brouillette said.