Glenview Telecommunicators have their first contract ever. Effective last January 1, wages were increased by 3.25% within an eight step pay plan. Wages increase another 3% in each of the next two years. Insurance premiums for members who participate in the Village’s HMO plan go to 5% this year, 11% in 2011 and 16% in 2012. PPO employee premiums rise from 12% to 15% this year, 18% in 2011 and 19% in 2012. The contract provides detailed language on discipline and its effects upon seniority, extensive light duty and leave of absence language, and guarantees against excessive forced overtime. Additional monetary benefits include built-in overtime within a straight 12 hour work schedule, one hour of additional CTO pay per six hours of work, $3 an hour for working out of classification, accelerated vacation accrual for newer employees and various cash out benefits upon retirement. Ernie Banac, Mike Karp and Steve Delatorre worked with Kevin Krug and Keith Turney to put together the successful agreement.

Carbondale Dispatchers have negotiated their first-ever labor contract. The agreement, signed May 15^th provides a 3% pay raise for all dispatchers retroactive to May 1, 2009. It also calls for payment of 30 minutes’ pay for any shift worked without a meal break, an annual stipend of $2,000 for the LEADS Agency Coordinator, and compensation for the Communications Training Officer. Wages for the 2010 and 2011 contract years will be negotiated in two wage reopeners, with any impasses to be resolved with binding arbitration. Shane Harriss, Amber Pellegrini, and Sandy Richards did a great job serving as the unit’s bargaining committee, assisted by Field Rep Bill Mehrtens.

Downers Grove Telecommunicators are working under their first contract ever. The three-year agreement establishes a seven-step wage scale. The first contract year provides an average 4 per cent increase... 5.9 per cent the second year... and 5.8 per cent the third. The agreement formalizes unit rights including vacation time, overtime, health insurance and grievance procedures. Full-time members get first pick over part-timers of overtime assignments. Keith Turney and Joe Kalita assisted unit members Tammy Krzeminski and Yvette Colon.

Pulaski County has negotiated its first-ever FOP Labor Council contract after the unit unanimously agreed to leave the Laborer’s Union. The three-year contract calls for a pay raise of 3.5% retroactive to last year, with salary reopeners for the 2010 and 2011 contract years. Other changes include the addition of one holiday, shift bidding by seniority, and the establishment of discipline appeals through the grievance procedure. John Gulley and Jereme Dintleman represented the bargaining unit membership, assisted by Field Rep Bill Mehrtens.

Livingston County Corrections Officers have settled a two-year agreement, retroactive to last December 1. The unit went through two mediation sessions until it was settled. Each contract year provides a 2.5 per cent salary increase. Two longevity steps have been added. Sergeants compensation has been boosted $250 each year. Clerical workers' base pay has been adjusted for increases between 1 and 2 per cent. The medical and health allowance has been increased $100 to compensate for deductibles. Keith Turney assisted unit members Jason Durham, Ron Kennedy, Brandi Vance and Beth Limberg.

LivCom (Livingston County 911) are working under a new two-year contract retroactive to last January, calling for salary increases of 3 per cent the first year and 2.5 per cent the second. Longevity steps were compressed. The medical and health allowance has been boosted $150 each year. The shift bidding process also included enhancements. The contract also provides for a 12 month unpaid leave benefit. The sick leave accumulation cap has been increased to 150 days. Unit members can also hold over 40 hours of comp time into the next year. The acting shift supervisor gets a 50 cent an hour boost. The LEADS coordinator receives an extra $250 a year. Overtime and time off polices have been formalized into the contract. Keith Turney worked with unit members Sandra Guth and Bill Kelly.

City of Washington Telecommunicators have agreed to a two-year contract retroactive to last May 1. It provides a 3 per cent raise for each year. Vacation scheduling procedures have been clarified. Twelfth year longevity has been bumped up $50, and up $1,000 the fifteenth year. Comp time has been limited to 160 hours per calendar year, and the employee share of health insurance premiums went up slightly. Keith Turney backed up unit members Becky Kumer and Heather Sauder.

Tentative agreement has been reached for Jefferson County Corrections and has been ratified by the FOP membership, and we are waiting for the County to vote on the agreement.

The City of East St. Louis started unpaid, and un-negotiated furloughs of its police officers back in February. The contract required them to negotiate. Labor Council took them to arbitration and we won. The city then sought to lay off 19 of their 60 officers. There were unfruitful discussions. The 19 police officers were laid off on August1. On August 3 your Labor Council met with the city and negotiated a deferred furlough plan to bring back all 19 officers. The agreement was ratified by our unit on August 5 and they returned to work that afternoon. Skip Butler, Keith Randolph, Joya Jordan, Kendall Perry and other members worked with Labor Council attorney Rick Stewart and field rep Bill Mehrtens in reaching the final agreement.

The City of Highwood laid off two police officers and the Highwood City Council owed the officers thousands of dollars and failed to pay them. The City Manager was fired, the Labor Council filed grievances with the city, and after many delays, the checks have finally been issued to the officers.

Sangamon County Corrections have filed for interest arbitration after mediation attempts failed. The primary issues are wages where the parties are far apart. The county is seeking concessions on comp time and the use of other paid leave.

Eastern Illinois University Police are scheduled for interest arbitration in November. Again, money is the primary issue. There is also a wide difference in how physical fitness testing is handled, raising the question of what happens if an officer fails the test. The University also wants to impose furlough days in whatever manner they see fit. We are adamantly opposed to furloughs.

Auburn, Carrollton, Dupo, Macomb and Beardstown Police, and Oglesby Police and Telecommunicators have not resolved new contracts. Money is the big issue for all of them.

Another sign of these economic times: The Village of Dolton has laid off five of its 13 clerks.

Negotiations in Chester and Mt. Carmel will be resolved through arbitration. Negotiations are ongoing in Carmi, Shiloh, Effingham (Patrol and Dispatch units), and will begin soon in Washington Park, Lawrence County, Saline County (patrol/dispatch and corrections units), and Pulaski County.

A Sangamon County Corrections Officer was accused of posting defamatory statements about a family court judge on Facebook. The Sheriff imposed a four-day suspension, which was appealed;. A grievance was filed, and progressed to step 3, where it was argued to the Sheriff's labor attorney that the posting was not in violation of the cited department policy. The grievance was resolved in favor of officer who was reimbursed for the four days.

A cautionary note: members are urged to restrain themselves from posting rants, photos, etc. on social networking sites. Not all situations have happy endings. Cyberspace is forever.