The City Council is being asked to approve a tentative agreement for the renewal of a labor contract between the City and the Montana Public Employees Association - Billings Police Unit.  The contract is currently being voted on by the membership, and the voting will be completed on June 21. If approved by union members and the City Council, the contract will go into effect on July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2021.

Changes to the contract include:

• A 2.9% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the first year of the contract, effective July 1, 2018;
• A 2.9% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the second year of the contract, effective July 1, 2019;
• A 2.9% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for the third year of the contract, effective July 1, 2020;
• General detectives, ICAC, and CCSIU employees will be paid an additional $1.00 per hour for specialized duties/training, increased caseloads, to increase applicant pool, and to compensate for 24/7 On-Call status;
• Equipment allowance increased from $350 to $450;
• Defined what is considered an extension of shift; If an officer receives a call to return to work within 1 1/2 hours of his/her shift, it is considered an extension of shift, instead of a Call-out.
• Clarified Short Shift Change Over Pay.  An officer is not eligible for Short Shift Change Over Pay as a result of working extra duty, such as athletic events, hospital extra duty, parades, Magic City Blues, etc., in conjunction with a normal shift;
• Increased Physical Fitness Incentives for the higher fitness levels only, and eliminated incentives for levels below 70% for the Cooper Institute test, and for MPAT times longer than 6 minutes and 30 seconds;
• Added language that if an officer is suspended without pay for disciplinary action, then the officer may deduct the time from the officer's accrued compensatory bank, by mutual consent of the officer and the Chief.  If mutual consent is not agreed upon, then cashing out compensatory time would be restricted during the pay period before, during, and after the initial disciplinary suspension period;
• Officers currently receive retirement benefits based on pay that includes the City's monthly health insurance contribution.  The amount of city retirement benefits will be limited to the lower amount of the actual increase in the contribution or 15%.

City Council may:

• Approve the contract presented, with cost of living adjustment (COLA) effective July 1, 2018.
• Postpone action on the contract to obtain additional information; or
• Deny approval of the contract, forcing negotiations to resume.

The COLA in th contract will cost an additional $290,122 in each year of the contract.  There is adequate funding in General Fund reserves to cover the increases, and a budget amendment will follow.

The increase in the cost of the health insurance to retirement benefit will depend on the increase in the cost of health insurance, which will not be known until January of each year.

The cost for the Detective Incentive pay is $17,440.

The cost to increase the Equipment Allowance is $10,300.

The City will recognize savings by defining what is considered an extension of shift by not paying 3 hours Call-out pay each time an officer is called back to work within 1 1/2 hours of his/her shift.

 

Staff recommends that the City Council approve the City - MPEA - Billings Police Unit collective bargaining agreement as presented, effective July 1, 2018.