2008-05-06 Ewing Sparring With Police Over Contract Talks

Ewing sparring with police over contract talks A township official deems unions' request 'ludicrous' Tuesday, May 06, 2008 BY LISA CORYELL EWING -- Starting salaries for rookie police officers would exceed $80,000 by 2012 if the township ac cepts contract terms being proposed by the local police unions. In negotiations that got under way last week, union representatives called for a 6 percent salary increase for each step on the police pay scale. Under those terms, starting salaries would jump from $63,531 to $67,342 in the first year of the four- year contract. Rookies would start the job at $80,206 by the end of the contract. The unions also proposed a 2 percent increase in the longevity bonuses officers receive after topping out of the pay scale. Township Administrator Dave Thompson called the unions' request ludicrous. "We're in dire financial straits and I find that request to be unconscionable," said Thompson. "In my view they cannot make a single economic argument in defense of that proposal." Spokesmen for the Police Benevolent Association and the Superior Officers Union -- the two units representing the 82-member department -- would not comment on their proposal or on Thomp son's comments. The current four-year police contract, which expires June 30, calls for 4 percent salary increases each year for the first five years on the job. Salaries range from $63,531 to $97,547 a year. Under the union proposal the range would be $80,206 to $123,150 at the end of the new contract. Currently, after reaching the final pay step, officers begin receiving longevity raises every five years. Increases range from 2.5 to 6.5 percent. The union proposal calls for increasing that range to 4.5 to 8.5 percent. Township officials say police salaries eat up a major portion of the township budget. In the last fiscal year the township paid $8.1 million in police salaries and another $500,000 in police overtime. This year the township budgeted $8.8 million in salaries and overtime pay.

If the township accepts the union proposal, it would have to pay more than $2 million more in police salaries over the life of the contract. "We are trying to be as conscious as we possibly can in terms of imposing on the taxpayers of Ewing," Mayor Jack Ball said. "The impact (of the police contract) isn't just a one-time deal. It will be happening for four years." Thompson pointed out that the majority of Ewing's police force lives in other municipalities and are not local taxpayers. "If they were being asked to pay for it, they'd realize how ludicrous it is," he said. Ball said contracts with all seven township unions expire June 30. "We need to be fair to all 253 employees and at the same time be fair to the taxpayers of Ewing Township who have to support any and all pay increases," Ball said.