City approves police contracts

• RFPD badge

The city settled last week its contracts with the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

Talk about it

After a closed session that followed the July 26 City Council meeting, the members emerged in agreement to a new contract for its unionized police officers who are members of the Wisconsin Professional Police Association.

City Administrator Scot Simpson confirmed late last week that while not technically signed yet, the police-union contract covering 2011-2013, is “a done deal.”

The contract covers 16 employees. Some Police Department positions are not under union contracts including the chief, sergeants, administrative employees and meter monitor.

Simpson said the deal with the police union was the last of six the city had to settle through 2013. The city settled with the other bargaining groups in November 2010.

Minimal changes to the contract include a 1% raise retroactive from Jan. 1, 2011, and another 1% raise effective July 1, 2012.

How does that compare with increases in the past?

In 2006 and 2007, raises totaled 3.5% each year. Unionized police employees received a total of 3% each in 2008, 2009 and 2010.

For officers already employed with the department before June 29 this year, Simpson said River Falls will continue paying the 16.6% contribution of wages that goes into each officer’s pension fund with the Wisconsin Retirement System. Any new officers will pay 5.8% toward the fund, with the city picking up the remaining 10.8%.

Non-union city employees begin paying 5.8% toward the pension account beginning in August. Simpson said the total contribution to their pension amounts is lower at 10.6% of wages.

The administrator confirms about unionized public employees, “All of them are subject to the new law except for police.”

Simpson says the police contracts don’t include any other, significant changes. While the recent legislative changes affect how much most public employees will pay for health insurance, River Falls’ costs won’t change much.

The administrator says the city controlled its costs by changing providers; it was able to keep the same plan, which offers a low- and high-deductible option. And while a significant amount of contract language in the health-insurance section of the contract changed, the actual costs of the coverage did not.

“We’ll end up with more savings in health insurance than we’ll have in cost,” said Simpson.

He said while some points of the recently settled contract could become bargaining points in 2013, River Falls is pleased to have all its contracts settled for the next two years.

Looking at the city’s overall compensation costs in 2011 and 2012, Simpson says the costs won’t be much different than in 2010. He says River Falls achieved this balance through renegotiated health insurance, not filling vacancies and eliminating positions.

Tags: government, wisconsin, business