Updated Feb. 18, 7:24 p.m.
The University and union leaders reached a contract agreement for unionized University Police officers Friday, following weeks of strained negotiations.
The deal comes about two weeks after officers in the International Union, Security, Police, Fire Professionals of America nixed a proposed contract in a 45-9 vote, citing frustrations over a lack of nighttime shift pay raises and a policy that would allow supervisors to cancel an officer’s previously approved leave in emergency cases.
The new agreement boosts the wage for night differentials – pay for work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. – from 75 cents per hour to 85 cents per hour for the first year of the three-year contract. It also includes a provision for supervisors to be drafted first in emergency cases, rather than canceling officers’ approved leave.
“We are pleased to have again reached agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement with the UPD negotiating team,” the union and University said in a joint statement provided by the Office of Media Relations. “We look forward to prompt ratification of the agreement by the bargaining unit.”
The proposal must still receive approval from a majority of voting officers by Monday.
“We sincerely hope itll be accepted by the members,” Guy Thomas, one of the union’s national directors, said. “It’s a good contract and we hope it’s ratified.”
Officers planned to picket outside their headquarters at the Woodhull House – still working scheduled shifts but forming a line and handing out literature during personal time – if the most recent round of talks failed.
The deal that faltered two weeks ago lacked a wage increase for night differentials – pay for work between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. It also offered a 3-percent wage hike for the first year of a three-year contract but opened up pay negotiations for the later two years.
Darrin Carter, leader of the Local 294 branch of the union UPD officers fall under, confirmed that the two sides reached a deal but did not return a request for comment on the agreement.
