Mediation leads to agreement with union

Oconto Falls police officers were granted wage increases for each year of a new three-year contract adopted April 14 by the Oconto Falls City Council. The contract, which was resolved with the help of a mediator April 9, grants a 2 percent raise for 2015, retroactive to Jan. 1. Other city employees were granted 2 percent pay raises in December for 2015. The city’s Wisconsin Professional Police Association members also will receive a 1.5 percent raise in January and again in July in both 2016 and 2017. The union’s three-year contract expired Dec. 31, and a mediator was called in after negotiations stalled Nov. 20. Sgt. Corey Rank, president of the union, had no comment regarding the mediated contract, but Police Chief Brad Olson said both sides were content with the agreement. Olson participated in the negotiations as an observer. “The officers and the city came away pretty happy with where it ended up,” he said. The session was mediated by Lauri Millot, of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission, and lasted less than two hours. The new agreement increases retirement contributions to 6.8 percent for 2015 and then will follow the Wisconsin Retirement System contributions for 2016 and 2017. Retirement contributions were first paid by union members in 2012. They were phased in gradually at increments of 2 percent for 2012, 4 percent for 2013 and 5.8 percent for 2014. Health insurance contributions increased from 10 percent to 12 percent for the next three years. Retirement and health insurance contributions were effective the first pay period after ratification. New to the agreement is a provision allowing the police chief to grant compensatory time, which is proposed as a way to reduce overtime hours yet maintain sufficient staffing. “It should, in the long run, save the city money,” Olson said. Officers may carry as many as 48 hours of compensatory time during the year, receive a maximum of 48 hours paid out by Dec. 15 and carry up to 48 hours into the following year. Officers in the department are Jamie Kuhn, Keith Fischer and Joe Ruiz.