Blawnox police have a new contract effective Jan. 1
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Blawnox Council has approved a new four-year police contract.
The new deal is effective Jan. 1 and runs through 2026. It includes a 75-cent per hour raise for all officers each year.
Borough officials provided contracts to the Tribune-Review following a Right-to-Know request. The council unanimously voted Aug. 10 to approve the four-year pact.
Under the contract, Chief Patrick Goodman’s compensation would increase from about $83,860 to $85,400 next year.
Monthly pay for Goodman would be about $7,118 in year one, $7,248 year two, $7,378 year three and $7,508 year four.
Pay may be increased with overtime for Goodman. Overtime pay for the chief’s position was listed at $61.60 per hour in year one, $62.72 year two, $63.85 year three and $64.98 in year four.
Officer base pay would increase about 2.25% in year one, $2.22% year two, 2.17% year three and $2.13% in year four.
That equated to a base salary of about $70,595 in year one, $72,155 year two, $73,275 year three and $75,275 in year four.
Hourly rate of base pay for officers would be $33.94 per hour in year one, $34.69 year two, $35.44 year three and $36.19 in year four.
Officers hired on or after Jan. 1 would get 80% of their base pay in year one, 90% of the salary plus yearly percentage increases if applicable in year two, and 100% of the base salary plus yearly percentage increases if applicable in year three.
Borough Manager Kathy Ulanowicz said the contract was the culmination of work that began in March.
“I think it was a fair contract for the police department and for the borough,” Ulanowicz said. The current contract expires at the end of the year.
The full-time officers will also contribute 0.5% more toward their health care annually for the life of the contract.
Officers would contribute 4% of base pay in year one, 4.5% year two, 5% year three and 5.5% in year four.
Part-timers do not get benefits. However, they do get a 75-cents per hour raise for the life of the contract.
Service requirements for vacations were reduced.
Under the new contract, Ulanowicz said, officers will need five years of service to get three weeks of vacation, and 10 years of service for four weeks vacation.
The current deal stipulates seven years of service is needed for three weeks vacation, and 15 years for four weeks vacation.
Vacation days do not roll over into the next year, according to the contract.
There are three full-time officers, including Goodman, and four part-time officers.
“I feel the contract worked out well for everyone involved,” Councilman John Simmons said. “The negotiations went well, of course they had their requests, and we had our rebuttals. I feel it all worked out in the best for everyone and everyone walked away happy.”
Several officers represented the department’s negotiating team.
Goodman said contract talks showed professionalism on both sides of the table, and called the agreement “beneficial to both while remaining responsible to the residents” of Blawnox.
“The agreement allows for the department to continue to build for the future and remain competitive in attracting quality personnel,” Goodman said via email. “The willingness of the participants to work together to come to this agreement illustrates the desire of the department and the borough to keep this community safe and strong for many years to come.”