January 2012  FIELD REPORT

Yorkville Sergeants are working under their first contract, retroactive to May 1, 2010.  Salaries have been held in place.  Grievance procedures, which also encompasses discipline, have been defined and established under the contract.  The hourly rate of pay is established at 2,080 hours.  Compensatory time can be accumulated up 240 hours. The agreement also calls for a minimum of 2 and-a-half hours of pay at time and-a-half for court appearances... a minimum of 2 and-a-half hours at time and-a-half for callback... 14 holidays, including two floaters... maximum accrual of 960 hours of sick leave... and the employer pays 90 per cent of insurance premiums.  Sam Stroup and Jim Presnak were assisted by Field Rep Keith Turney.

Ogle County Probation Officers have a two year contract retroactive to Dec. 1 and running to November 30, 2012.  Probation officers receive a 1.5 per cent cost of living  increase.  They are also entitled to receive additional percentages in accordance with performance evaluations.  Support staff receive a 4 per cent pay raise the first contract year and 4 per cent the second year.  Bonita Miller, Kelsey Gilliam and Brian Peterson were assisted by Field Supervisor Kevin Krug.

Randolph County Sheriffs Corrections Officers, Dispatchers and Office Deputies have reached a successor agreement in just one meeting.  The agreement calls for a 9.25 per cent base pay increase over the contract's three years.  Additional holidays have been added by adopting the County’s annual holiday list.   Bereavement leave, compensatory time bank, and call-in/turn sheet procedures have been  improved.  In a unique contract feature, the county pays our unit members' portion of the SLEP pension to a maximum of 6.5 per cent, with the remaining 1 per cent paid by unit members.  Chrissy Gottschammer, Jason Juenger, Chris Geisen, and Daniel Niemeyer represented the corrections officers, dispatchers and office deputies.  Field Rep Bill Mehrtens assisted our members.    

Our Oak Lawn Command unit is working under a new four year contract retroactive to January 1, 2011.  The agreement calls for a wage freeze for the first six months... a one per cent boost retroactive to July 1, 2011... and 2.5 per cent salary boosts in each of the remaining three years.  The contract provides six major holidays are paid at double time, and three new minor holidays are paid at time and-a-half.  Unit members who don't work these holidays still receive eight hours of comp time. Personal Days have been increased from 4 days to 5 days, and Wellness Days have been increased from 4 days to 5 days.  Specialty Pay has been increased from 8 hours per month to 12 hours per month. This alone equates to about 2.4 per cent more money since every member has a specialty.  Discipline over five  days can now be grieved and arbitrated.  Discipline under 5 days may go before the Police/Fire Commission.  However, if the discipline is increased by the commission over 5 days, it goes through the grievance process.  The insurance contribution remains at 10 per cent of the premium.  Future retirees will now pay 10 per cent of the premium for continued health insurance.  Employees who have already retired do not pay. Future retirees no longer can opt-out of the insurance for cash.  Future new hires will no longer qualify for educational stipends. The contract now contains a new Drug/Alcohol provision. Tim Furmanek and Gregg Doyle worked diligently with Field Rep Pete Balderas to negotiated a better contract than the MAP represented police officers who were prompted to add “a me too” provision to their contract.

Joliet Junior College Police have negotiated a wage reopener covering 2012 and 2013.  It provides a salary increase of 1.5 per cent this year and 1.5 per cent effective July 1 of 2013.  Salary steps have been compressed.  Michael Stirn and Paul Jerantowski worked with Field Rep Keith Turney on the reopener.

Union County Dispatchers have signed a successor contract following  mediation.

Salaries have been increased 1 per cent the first year, retroactive to Dec. 1, 2010,  1.5 per cent the second, and 2 per cent the third year.  Other changes include adding a personal day each year, and a new benefit of  $100 per year for dispatchers for buying uniforms and equipment not provided by the county.  Brian Hill, Steve Stearns, and David Waun were assisted by Field Rep Bill Mehrtens.

Lake County Forest Preserve Rangers are now covered by a four-year successor agreement retroactive to January 1, 2011.  All wage steps will now contain a two percent increase.  Wage steps were increased from ten steps to eighteen steps, and effective retroactive to January 1, 2011, all members have been moved to the next highest paying step.  Also during 2011, effective on the member’s anniversary date, unit members will move up a second step.  The new two percent longevity step was moved up to coincide with the last year of the contract and will affect forty per cent  of the members, giving those members a 4 per cent increase in the last year of the contract.  The eighteenth step is a new 2 per cent increase over the old top out pay.  The contract includes no lay-off language through December 31, 2012.  A Non-Discrimination provision is now exempt from the grievance process.  Ranger Police Officers Scott Banaszynski and Bradley Ehrhardt were assisted by Field Rep Pete Balderas in successfully avoiding layoffs.

Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies and Corrections Officers have reached a successor agreement after two meetings.  Fifty cent per hour wage increases have been agreed to in each of four years of the new contract.  Dental and vision insurance will now be provided by the county  at no cost to members.  Other changes include an increase in Jail Sergeant differential, double time paid for overtime worked on a holiday, shift bidding by seniority, and maintaining a $500 deductible and  $550 per month insurance premium contribution by the county.  Danny Bradac, Luke Harrison, and Dave Lester were assisted by Field Rep Bill Mehrtens.

Tentative agreement has been reached for the Effingham Patrol unit.  Details will be posted after final approval.

Negotiations are ongoing in East St. Louis... Johnston City... White County... Jefferson County... Pulaski County... Massac County... Monroe County and Harrisburg -- all of whom will negotiate full successor contracts -- and Lawrence County, which will negotiate a salary opener for the final year of their contract.  Spring negotiations will see new contracts in Nashville, Benton, Robinson, Carbondale (dispatchers) and Herrin.