Contracts with police, office workers finalized

Municipality authorizes salary increases

By: William Wichert
   MANSFIELD — After nearly three years spent in negotiations, the municipality has authorized contracts with two unions representing the township’s office workers and police force that provide an average annual salary increase of 4 percent through 2007.
   At its Nov. 9 meeting, the Township Committee approved agreements with the two unions, providing retroactive pay and gradual salary increases for the municipal employees for the next two years. The office workers’ union approved its contract two weeks ago, but the police union has not yet signed its tentative agreement.
   These contracts bring the lengthy negotiating process to a close, but representatives of both unions said by phone last week that several arguments did not end in their favor, because the township did not make all the concessions sought by the workers.
   Mayor Art Puglia said those concessions involve several economic factors that limit how far the municipality is able to bend in negotiations, given the pressures brought on by both the workers and the taxpayers.
   "We have to deal with the public (and the workers)," said Mayor Puglia by phone last week. "It’s a fine line."
   For the most part, the police union is pleased with its contract, said Ed Tyler, president of the Township of Mansfield Patrolman Association, which represents nine officers.
   "It’s a give and take," said Mr. Tyler. "Everybody’s on good terms. That’s how we want to keep it."
   The police contract, which replaces the agreement that expired in December 2003, would give the officers a retroactive 3 percent salary increase for 2004 and a 4 percent annual increase in 2005 through 2007, said Mr. Tyler. The starting salary for a township patrol officer will increase from $30,660 to $35,259.
   This pay increase will help Mansfield officers slightly close the gap between them and officers in neighboring Bordentown Township, where the starting salary is $46,305, but vacation time remains a divisive issue.
   Each officer currently receives 10 days worth of vacation, but the total vacation hours an officer receives depends on when he or she is hired. For officers hired before the previous contract was enacted in 2001, they receive 10 days of 12 hours each, since they work 12-hour shifts.
   Although officers hired under the previous contract also work 12-hour shifts, they only receive 10 vacation days of eight hours each, making for an overall loss of vacation time. The new contract maintains this system, but the union would still like to see it changed.
   "It’s something to work on in the next contract," said Mr. Tyler.
   While the police force remains unhappy about its vacation time, the office workers are still eyeing the sick days given to the police officers. Under the new contract, these workers will receive an extra sick day for a total of seven, but their union had been negotiating to have 10 sick days, the same amount afforded to the police.
   "I guess their families get sicker," said John Hemmy, associate director of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, District Council 71, which represents the 11 office workers.
   Mr. Hemmy said the union dropped this argument, as well as its failed plea to mandate an arbitration hearing for disciplinary issues, in order to complete the first contract since the union formed in December 2002.
   "You can only beat a dead horse for so long," he said. "You go as far as you can and get what you can."
   This contract will give the office workers a 3 percent salary increase for 2003 and 2004, and a 4 percent increase each year for 2005, 2006, and 2007, said Mr. Hemmy. The new contract was originally set to expire next year, but the two sides agreed on the final day of negotiations to extend the agreement for another year, he said.