Norwood (Mass.) Local Inks Deal on New Contract
August 14, 2007
Members of Local 438 in Norwood, Massachusetts, have negotiated a new collective bargaining agreement that essentially gives them a 14.9 percent pay increase over three years with enhanced night differentials, along with notable improvements in private detail pay and "court-time" minimums.
“We are very pleased with the outcome,” said Lt. Charles King, who is president of the police superiors local. “These were the most difficult negotiations we’ve had in the 30 years I’ve been here. Working with the IBPO, who we have a longstanding and very strong relationship with, we were able to accomplish some amazing things” in the contract.
The contract, which runs from July 31, 2006 through June 30, 2008, provides raises retroactive to July 1, 2005, a major victory in a tough economic climate. Norwood superiors will also find that the terms of their private detail compensation have been markedly improved and made much fairer for those who put in the extra hours serving their community. In addition, the time they must spend at the courthouse will be fairly recognized, as the contract increases the "court-time" minimum from the current three hours to four hours.
Lt. King offered high praise for the work of the negotiating team and the attention and diligence of IBPO staff.
“The IBPO, especially Paul Birks, Tom Banks, Mike Bombard, Dick Anderson, and the legal department, were outstanding. It was the IBPO and the superiors working together who made this contract happen.”
The history of this collective bargaining agreement is a long one.
The battle for fair compensation began two years ago, when the town, the IBPO, and the superiors agreed to employ a private company to conduct a 15-town wage survey. When the results of the survey were finally compiled, the town was reluctant to release the results.
“Once the study was done, it was difficult to get it from the town because it was so favorable to the superiors [in terms of wage increases],” said Lt. King. “The IBPO legal staff had to file two separate FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests to get access to the data.”
The data and study bore out what the superiors had been arguing all along—their compensation was clearly unfair not in line with that of surrounding towns … not the case anymore.