The City Council voted May 21 to approve a new Letter of Agreement with the Rye Police Association (RPA) for the contract period January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015, calling for raises of 2.25 percent for each year. The agreement replaces one that expired December 31, 2008.

 

By Tom McDermott

The City Council voted May 21 to approve a new Letter of Agreement with the Rye Police Association (RPA) for the contract period January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2015, calling for raises of 2.25 percent for each year. The agreement replaces one that expired December 31, 2008.

Mayor Joe Sack noted in his remarks before the Council votes that, “Essentially, we’ve settled the contract for the first time since 2003.” He called the agreement a “fair deal for both sides, a little less than the police wanted and a little more than the City wanted.”

The City and RPA also agreed that contributions to health care costs for employees hired on or after the date of execution of the Agreement would continue to contribute 25 percent towards health care coverage with a new cap of 9.5 percent of an employee’s base salary. Current members of the force also contribute at the 25 percent rate; however, a 4 percent cap will remain in place for them.

Raises covering past years will be paid retroactively to those eligible who were  City employee commencing January 1, 2011.

Additionally, the Council voted to approve a Stipulation of Settlement with the RPA regarding its petition challenging an arbitrator’s award last October covering 2009-2010 contract years. The arbitrator’s decision called for 3 percent raises in each of those years, and for all members of the force to contribute to health care premiums. Before the decision, nine members of the force were not required to contribute.

For its part, the RPA will withdraw its January 2014 petition against that award, waive all challenges and claims, and make no further challenges to that award. The City withdrew its own April 2014 counter claim.  

Effectively, the May 21 Council vote brought to a close the long, winding, and sometimes acrimonious road to a settlement covering seven years, five of them retroactive. For Mayor Joe Sack and his Council running mates in last November’s election, the settlement with the RPA fulfills a promise each made to engage in a new, “more respectful” approach to dealing with the union, and to seek an early settlement.

The Council did not provide or discuss the total retroactive or future projected costs of the deals to the City and taxpayers, although they did say that they had reviewed projections during negotiations.

The new agreement includes a provision for the RPA to be covered by Aetna, instead of Medco, going forward. City Manager Frank Culross noted that this would allow police retirees, when they reach 65, to use Medicare and Aetna Supplementary Medicare coverage, which was not available under Medco.