Agreement Improves Pay Scale, Retiree Health Benefits, Working Conditions
Annapolis Police Officers represented by UFCW Local 400 recently ratified a strong new two-year collective bargaining agreement.
Among many improvements, the contract establishes a new pay scale that reduces the number of years officers must work to reach the top of the scale and provides a 6% increase, on average, over the life of the agreement. It also increases retiree health and welfare benefits, and expands the use of take-home vehicles for SWAT Team members.
“In the long run, the new pay scale will be extremely beneficial to officers and new hires won’t have to wait as long for their raises,” said Officer 1st Class T.J. Woolfolk, the UFCW Local 400 Lead Police Shop Steward. “And retiree health care will be split 60/40 with the city, an improvement over the previous 50/50.”
“The new parameters on the take-home car policy will help some officers in specialized units,” he added. “And there will be more money for our clothing allowance, which will allow us to get the equipment necessary to do our jobs.”
“In any bargaining, you always want to do better, but I’m very appreciative of where management met us and felt that we brokered the best deal possible,” Officer Woolfolk said.
Other key provisions of the new collective bargaining agreement include:
- Including the rank of Lieutenant in the bargaining unit.
- Ensuring that at least one Union Steward will be in attendance at the Chief’s Advisory Board meetings.
- Filling temporary job openings with Officers currently on promotional lists and allowing their time in those positions to count toward probation if promoted.
- Adding Thanksgiving as a holiday paid at an additional half time pay if worked.
- Clarifying how voluntary and non-voluntary overtime is assigned.
- Establishing a new city-wide Tuition reimbursement program.
- Adding an optional additional 5th year to the DROP plan.
- Providing a $20,000 signing bonus to new hires (not included in the contract but agreed to in bargaining).
UFCW Local 400 has represented Annapolis Police Officers since 1980. The agreement covers 100 officers.