City and Mesquite Police Officer Association negotiate agreement for next fiscal year

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A modification to the Collective Bargaining agreement with the Mesquite Police Officer Association (MPOA), was recently negotiated that will reduce labor costs for those covered under the agreement by approximately $189,000, it was announced today by the MPOA and the City of Mesquite.

“This reduction comes from reduced pay and benefit payments to all sworn police personnel and non-union police management who have agreed to take the same reductions as the union personnel,” said Mike Callahan, personnel director for the City of Mesquite.

According to Callahan, the specific reductions include the following for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2010 and ending June 30, 2011;

Additional pay for special assignments, such as Officers assigned as Officer’s In Charge (OIC), Field Training Officers (FTO), School Resource Officer (SRO), motorcycle duty, training and administration; will be reduced from 10% to 7% for the period assigned, through June 30, 2011.

Holiday pay will be suspended in the coming year, for a reduction of 88 hours the hourly police officers normally receive and employees will not be able to sell accrued vacation time in excess of 240 hours back to the City for the period ending June 30, 2011.

Any wage increase that was proposed to take effect on July 1, 2010, will be deferred until July 1, 2011.

Part-time personnel in the Police Department were not retained for the next fiscal year for a budgetary savings of approximately $93,000. The cost savings includes wages and benefits, and associated costs related to five crossing guards, two animal control workers and a file clerk.

“We want to assure the public that we are committed to the safety of children crossing the street as they go to school each day,” said Mesquite Police Chief Douglas Law. “We will utilize our highly trained and dedicated volunteer police force, as well as other community volunteers, or other staff as needed, to provide the services previously done by part-time employees.”

Through the concessions by Union Employees and the elimination of the part-time positions, the City was able to maintain the employment level for sworn officers at current level for 2010-11 fiscal year. If these reductions had not occurred, the City would have laid off at least three sworn police officers in order to achieve the same labor cost reductions.

All other provisions of the contract will remain in force as currently stated and the expiration of the Contract will be extended to June 30, 2012.

“The City appreciates the cooperative spirit that existed during the negotiations. The City and the MPOA have forged a mutually beneficial and proactive relationship that allows us to get through these difficult financial times without sacrificing service to the community, as our focus is always service,” said Chief Law.