A two-tier wage scale has been set up for new police hires in River Forest following the approval last month of a new three-year contract with officers, sergeants and detectives.
Officers hired after May 1, 2013 will have to wait 8 ½ years instead of 5 ½ to get to the top of the salary schedule.
Most of the 25 members of the bargaining unit already are at the top of the salary scale.
“If they’re not at the top of the scale by now, officers will be grandfathered in and affected by the same salary schedule,” said Village Administrator Eric Palm, adding that one officer will be hired under the new contract.
Det. Justin Labriola, president of Local Lodge 46 of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, said this new salary scale and other changes will not be an obstacle in hiring new recruits.
The most recent contract ended April 30 and this new agreement will run through April 30, 2016.
Under the new deal, officers currently on the force who have served less than 1.5 years will earn roughly $57,300, and patrolmen with more than 5.5 years of service about $84,900. During the third year of the agreement, pay increased from roughly $60,500 to about $89,600. For sergeants, their scale rises to roughly $103,060 from just over $95,000 by the end of the contract.
Officers’ insurance plans will also see changes.
The Preferred Payer Option has been replaced by a plan that will require them to pay more out of pocket for medical costs. This option, Palm said, is similar to one provided to non-union employees.
Employees with 15 or more years of service, and current retirees, will be eligible for a medical insurance subsidy, which amounts to one-third of the cost of the premium. Officers brought on after April 1, 1999 will not get that subsidy after their retirement.
Medical insurance, retiree health insurance and a two-tier wage scale were top issues during negotiations. The River Forest village wanted to hold the line on costs while the union did not want to lose benefits. Negotiations, both sides noted, ran smoothly because talks started early and without attorneys.
Labriola noted that distrust had been built between the FOP and the village when lawyers were involved in bargaining. But face-to-face negotiations absent the lawyers proved effective, Labriola added.
“Part of the reason that they hire a village manager and an assistant is to handle contract negotiations,” he said. “They are capable of doing that. This is the best way to handle [negotiations]. It worked out well. Any question we have (about insurance) they have answered. They’ve been transparent; that’s what’s been pretty good.”