Police Unions and City Come To Labor Union Agreement; Council To Vote

The City and Police Union leaders have signed a  memorandum of understanding, which includes raises for police officers and a decline in the amount of sick days an officer can accumulate. Hoboken’s police officers have been without police contracts since Dec. 31, 2007. 

The memorandum was published on the city's web site and will be discussed during a closed session on Wednesday night before the regular council meeting, said City Spokesman Juan Melli. 

The new contract outlines the raises—retroactive, as well as future—the cops will receive, and runs until Dec. 31, 2013. 

Police officers will receive a 3,5 percent retro active raise up to April 1, 2008, a 3,5 retroactive raise until April 1, 2009, a 2 percent retroactive raise up to Jan. 1, 2010. A 2 percent raise went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. For 2012 and 2013, officers will receive a 1,95 percent raise.

This agreement comes after a tentative agreement was voted down by the City Council in March, 2010 which would have resulted in $3 million in retro active pay.

The city did not release the total amount of money that will be paid as back pay. Melli, however, did say that the amount is included in the budget that will be proposed at Wednesday night's council meeting. 

"I believe some of it comes from the surplus," Melli said. Melli added the mayor didn't want to release the exact monetary amount before talking to the city council during the closed session. It's unclear why the MOU needs to be discussed in closed session, even after being posted on the city's web site. 

In a communication to her constituents, Mayor Dawn Zimmer wrote that the new memorandum saves the city $700,000 compared to the agreement that was signed by Tripodi.

The contract, which was signed by Police Benevolence Association President Vince Lombardi and Police Superior Officer Association President Edmond Drishti on Feb. 15, also includes a decline in the amount of sick days a cop can accumulate. 

As of Jan. 1, 2011, new hires will be able to accumulate three sick days a year, for 25 years of service. This is down from five days a year for 30 years of service. Those officers who have been on the job for more than 30 years already will be capped at their current amount of sick days. Current officers who have been on the job less than 30 years will stop accumulating sick days after they’ve been with the department for 30 years. 

Every officer will receive four personal days a year. Under the new contract, the personal days do not carry over to the following year and are non-payable if not used, nor will they be paid for at retirement.

According to the new contract, vacation days carry over two years, rather than the previous three.

The MOU also stated that all overtime would be paid in wages, as opposed to compensatory time, at the rate of time and a half.

Drishti was not available to discuss the MOU on Wednesday afternoon. Lombardi could not be reached for comment.

The agreement has to be approved by the City Council during Wednesday night’s council meeting.