Published: May 07, 2008 01:59 am            

CITY OF TONAWANDA: Police union contract , 2.5 percent raises approved

After more than a year of negotiations, the City of Tonawanda has reached an agreement with the Police Benevolent Association on a contract that includes pay raises and a new health care plan.

The Tonawanda Common Council authorized Mayor Ron Pilozzi to execute the agreement Tuesday night. The contract between the city and the police union expired Dec. 31, 2006.

City officials hammered out a five-year agreement that runs retroactively from Jan. 1, 2007 through Dec. 31, 2011. As part of the settlement, members of the city police force will receive a 2.5 percent wage increase in each of the five years.

Following a move that’s picking up steam, the two entities also agreed to shift to a high-deductible health care plan. The Tonawanda City School District changed to that type of policy under the deal it reached earlier in the spring with its teachers union, a move that district officials said will save taxpayers more than $200,000.

“We spent many, many, many hours over the last year and several months to make this thing happen,” Pilozzi said. “It wasn’t easy, but we did it.”

The mayor said he thought negotiations were headed for arbitration. However, the two sides were able to avoid that.

Common Council President Carleton Zeisz said the health insurance plan was a big factor in the negotiating process.

“It really saves quite a bit of money in the long run,” he said.

The settlement also:

n Reduces the number of days PBA members may use for union business.

n Eliminates the provision that PBA members are entitled to extra time granted to City Hall employees.

n Clarifies the benefits an employee is eligible for upon leaving the job.

Moreover, the union agreed to drop its Public Employee Relations Board claims related to the city’s change in its take-home vehicle policy and its policy on retiree health insurance.

The PBA filed an arbitration demand with the state over health insurance benefits for retirees who were former PBA members. Pilozzi tendered a memorandum of agreement that addresses those concerns. The Common Council approved of that agreement, which extends health insurance benefits to non-PBA retirees as long as they sign a general release.

In other business Tuesday, the Common Council:

n Heard Zeisz announce that the council will vote at its next meeting on a resolution to award a request for proposals to Wendel Duchscherer Architects for design work on the Young Street project.

n Awarded a contract not exceeding $9,714 to LiRo Engineers for asbestos abatement at Niagara Hose Fire Hall.

Contact reporter David J. Hill at 693-1000, ext. 115.

        

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