Police distribute petition in pursuit of pay raise

By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

Police distribute petition
in pursuit of pay raise
By jennifer dome
Staff Writer

SOUTH RIVER — In a continuing effort to negotiate a higher raise with borough officials, members of the police department are asking for the support of their community.

Borough police officers are collecting signatures from residents who support an increase in police salaries. The petition states that the department is "one of the lowest paid … in Middlesex County" and the officers are requesting that their salaries and benefits at least equal the average of other departments in the county.

According to the department’s Policemen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) president, Kevin Nielsen, the officers are the third lowest paid in the county. The only departments paid less are the Helmetta and Middlesex County College police, Nielsen said.

Mayor Robert Szegeti said Tuesday that he is aware that the petition is being distributed by the police officers.

"I’m focusing my energies on trying to get the negotiations resolved," Szegeti said.

The number of signatures the police have collected has not been tallied thus far. According to Nielsen, officers have set up a table at several events in the borough including the Sept. 19 Cruise Night and at football games at South River High School. Nielsen said Tuesday that he also expected officers to request signatures in front of the post office this week.

"They know the people of South River are behind the police department for a raise," Nielsen said of the Borough Council members.

"(Residents) want us to have a fair and equitable salary," he said.

The council has been eager to honor police officers when they have been injured on duty, or in light of the events of 9/11, Nielsen said, noting, "It’s all good when it’s fun for flag-waving. Then when it comes to getting a raise, they seem to turn a blind eye to us."

After negotiations with the PBA hit a stalemate this summer, the PBA filed for arbitration to help get the contracts resolved. The arbitration process is scheduled to start Oct. 4, Nielsen said. However, if the council comes to the association with a fair contract, it will cancel the arbitration, he said.

That scenario is what Police Chief Wesley Bomba said he hopes will happen, since attorneys for the arbitration process cost the taxpayers and the PBA money, he said Tuesday. Bomba has recently become the go-between for the PBA in negotiations with Szegeti and other borough officials.

All members of the department are members of the PBA, including Bomba, although the union does not handle negotiations for him since he is considered a part of the administration, the chief has said.

"We made very significant progress with the dispatchers and crossing guards," said Bomba, who has also been helping to finalize their contracts.

The chief said that the lines of communication are now open for the police contracts as well. He said he will be meeting with Szegeti and other borough officials again next week.

"Hopefully I have the pulse of the department, and hopefully cooler heads will prevail," Bomba said, adding that he and Szegeti stepped into the process after negotiations had become heated between the two parties.

Szegeti said the current results of the negotiation process were presented to Borough Council members during the closed portion of the council’s business meeting Monday.

"We have an idea where we’re going. We believe there’s progress," Szegeti said.

Besides a pay raise, Nielsen said the PBA is hoping for a slight increase in their clothing allowance for uniforms, as well as for arrangements to be made to practice shooting their weapons at a nearby gun club, such as the South River Pistol Club.

The main point of contention is the salary increase, which Nielsen said should be comparable to other municipalities in the county since the South River officers are putting their lives at risk too.

"We just want to be compensated," Nielsen said.

Recently, the Borough Council voted in favor of Bomba’s request for four new police vehicles. Usually, only two new vehicles are purchased for the police department each year, Borough Council President David Sliker said.