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Thursday, July 10, 2008
City reaches one-year contract deal with cops
Major contract negotiation news today:

The city and the Fraternal Order of Police have agreed to a new one-year contract  proposed by an arbitration panel. It's the first time in recent memory that the city has so quickly struck a deal with police, whose negotiations usually drag on for months.

Mayor Nutter said the city wanted a year-long contract so that they could spend more time analyzing health benefits. This contract will establish a health care committee with representation from the city and the FOP. Nutter said the committee would be "open to rethinking the entire benefit funding and delivery system.”

Many insiders think this is a step towards trying to merge the health care plans of all four city unions. Currently each union -- police, firefighters, white collar workers and blue collar workers  -- runs their own plan.

Nutter did not explicitly speak about a merger, but he did say: "we cannot continue down the same path without some serious changes." He asked that the other city unions join the committee also.

"We're all in this together," he said.

The FOP contract will cost the city $9.3 million. It provides a 3.5 percent raise, but decreases the amount paid per capita to the police health fund. Nutter said the city is paying exactly what the union needs to maintain it's current level of benefits.

FOP President John McNesby said the union would accept the deal, although they had asked for a three-year contract.

"We would have loved to have longer than a one year deal, but the fact of the matter is it puts money in the cops pockets…our health care remains entact," McNesby said.

Nutter declined to discuss whether he was seeking one-year contracts from the other three unions also.
Posted by Catherine Lucey @ 12:34 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
Comments   
Posted 06:01 PM, 07/10/2008
riteaide
A one year contract will allow the Mayor to further deprive blue collar workers of benefits. They're already receiving much less per member per month than the police and fire for health care, they're paid less, yet they're essential city service workers and decent law-abidding citizens. There's been talk of 401k pension plans that would literally rob workers of employer contributions and there has been hints of privitization. These workers need a four year contract with substantial raises in salary and health care contributions and they should fight to get just that. If the city is feeling a financial burden, it certainly was not caused by the feeble benefits that they receive. Rob from the rich and give to the poor, if you will. They've been deprived too much too long, and shouldn't take it anymore.
1 comments
About Chris Brennan and Catherine Lucey
PhillyClout
Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns.

Catherine Lucey joined the Daily News in 2002. Since then she has written about murderous drug gangs, political protesters and Harry Potter. For the past two years, she covered the 2007 mayoral election. Now that the battle is over, she has moved down to the City Hall bureau where she will report on the Nutter administration.

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Catherine Lucey
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