The West Hartford Town Council unanimously approved agreements with the Public Safety Dispatchers and Police Officers Association collective bargaining units.

By Ronni Newton

Contracts for with collective bargaining units representing West Hartford’s police officers and public safety dispatchers were approved unanimously, 9-0,  by the Town Council at its meeting on July 16, with both agreements providing adjustments to wages, benefits, and other conditions of employment.

Both agreements had already been ratified by members of the respective bargaining units, but required Town Council action before taking effect.

Public Safety Dispatchers

The public safety dispatchers had been without an updated contract for several years, and the six-year agreement approved by the Town Council was retroactive to July 1, 2021 and will be effective through June 30, 2027.

Under the terms of the new contract, an annual general wage increase of 3% is applied to each annual period, retroactive to July 1, 2021, with 2.6% general wage increases to be applied as of July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026. Along with the wage increase, annual longevity bonuses have been increased and are now $375 for five years (up from $125), $500 for 10 years (up from $250), and $650 for 15 years (up from $400).

The earning of vacation days was slightly accelerated for those with more than 10 years of service, while contributions to health insurance premiums will require current employees to contribute on average an additional 16%. The increased contribution depends on the type of coverage chosen, and while the increase is 5% for those who choose individual coverage, new employees hired after the date of ratification will pay 47% more for two-person or family coverage and rises for new hires in subsequent years. Under the previous contract, employees who opt out of health insurance coverage were given the option of receiving a $1,500 stipend or an additional 10 days of vacation, but under the new contract the stipend has been increased to $2,500 while the vacation option has been removed.

Retiree health insurance benefits have also changed under the new contract, with employees hired after the date of ratification required to pay 50% of their fully insured health insurance rate for individual coverage. Dependent coverage for retirees will not be subsidized by the town.

Police Officers

Town Manager Rick Ledwith said the theme of the new contract with the West Hartford Police Officers Association “from both sides … was focused on recruiting exceptional police officers and retaining exceptional police officers.”

Certain significant aspects of the contract needed to be addressed, Ledwith said. Wage increases were minimal in the just-expired three-year contract and a retroactive agreement that went back six years due to prolonged arbitration of the pension terms. While the wage increases over that nine-year term – which averaged 1.875% per year – were favorable to taxpayers, we “needed a wage settlement that would close the gap between our officers and neighboring towns,” Ledwith told the Council, in order to remain somewhat competitive.

The new contract provides for a 13% increase in general wages over the four-year period: a 3% general wage increase effective July 1, 2o24; 3.25% increases as of July 1, 2025 and July 1, 2026; and a 3.5% general wage increase effective July 1, 2027.

Changes made to the pension plan in the just-expired contract needed to be addressed as well because they created a significant gap in benefits for newer hires in West Hartford. In the most recent contract the number of years of service required for retirement had been increased from 20 to 25 for employees hired after 2006, and for those hired after 2018, overtime was completely removed from the pension calculation.

The number of years of service required for retirement has been changed back to 20 years for all employees covered by the contract, while at the same time, the most significant change to pension benefits is the establishment of a four-year Deferred Retirement Pilot Plan.

Employees who will reach normal retirement date between now and July 1, 2028 can choose to participate in the pilot. Under the terms, the employee will continue working for between one and four additional years, earning their regular pay but also during that time will have the monthly pension payments they would have been receiving if they had retired deposited into a town account. When the employee officially stops working for the West Hartford Police Department, they will begin receiving their pension payments (with the calculation based on their date of entry into the pilot), along with a lump sum equal to 92% of what they contributed during that deferral period. Employees participating in the pilot are considered “retired” but not “separated,” and while they otherwise receive their regular benefits, during that period of time they no longer contribute to the pension plan and are not eligible for promotion.

Ledwith told Council members that this type of program is becoming popular among public safety agencies around the state, and he is hopeful that it will help retain experienced police officers beyond the 20-year mark. “The behavior we are trying to invent is a retainment tool,” he said.

Other changes to the police contract include flexibility in the vacation benefits for newly-hired officers with previous experience, increases in tuition benefits, a limit on the number of compensatory hours that can be used each final year, and, similar to the public safety dispatchers, increases in required contributions for health insurance benefits.

Deputy Mayor Ben Wenograd, who chairs the Council’s Finance and Administration Committee and is also an attorney for a labor federation, complemented Ledwith on his creativity and negotiation of “one of the more complex [agreements] I’ve seen.” He said he liked the fact that the deferred retirement plan is a pilot that sunsets after four years, which affords “important protection for both sides” in case it doesn’t work.

Wenograd also praised the fact that the contract negotiation was completed in a timely manner, without need for a long retroactive period. The nature of the agreement, he noted, looks at the relationship, rather than a short-term win for either side.

“It’s long overdue, especially when we look at other towns and cities that surround us,” said Carol Blanks, who chairs the Council’s Public Safety Committee and said the agreement is a great one for our officers “that go above and beyond.”

“I’m very happy about the changes in the benefits structure and the contribution of the premiums by the employees,” Republican Mary Fay said when she voiced support for the public safety dispatchers contract, noting that has always been a “sticky wicket” for her. “I don’t think they’re far enough yet but it’s progress and I’m very pleased.” She also commented about the police officers contract, commending the terms for being fair to all parties.

“It’s so clear that the priority for you was to be a partner with the town” Mayor Shari Cantor said, directing her comments to the union president, who was in the audience for the vote. “It is a balance. … We say we care and we do,” she said.

“This thoughtful contract that obviously had a lot of creativity …” Cantor said, and together the parties reached a point of success that supports those who choose the tough but rewarding field of law enforcement.

Police Chief Vernon Riddick has also voiced his support and thanks for the new contract.

Like what you see here? Click here to subscribe to We-Ha’s newsletter so you’ll always be in the know about what’s happening in West Hartford! Click the blue button below to become a supporter of We-Ha.com and our efforts to continue producing quality journalism.