Warren council to discuss report on contract

WARREN -- City council will discuss today a fact finder's report for a new contract with police dispatchers.
Eleven dispatchers represented by the Ohio Patrolmen's Benevolent Association have worked without a contract since Dec. 31.
Union and city officials met March 27, but they could not reach a tentative agreement in nine areas, including wages, benefits and hours of work, according to the report by fact finder Dennis M. Byrne. The most contentious issue between the two parties is wages, Byrne wrote.
The patrolmen's association asked for a 7 percent raise in the first year of the contract and a 3.5 percent raise for the remaining two years of the contract. The city offered a 1.5 percent raise for each year of the contract. Byrne suggested a 2.5 percent raise for each year, writing that it was a fair solution for both parties.
"It is clear the city faces an uncertain economic future," he wrote. "However, at this time the city's finances are in reasonable condition and the city never raised an inability to pay argument. Therefore the fact finder believes that the wage recommendation must be reasonable given the uncertain economic condition, but must also be realistic given the fact that currently the city is in reasonably sound financial condition."
Byrne also agreed with the union regarding the Ohio Public Employees' Retirement System contribution and the amount of the uniform allowance.
Byrne rejected the city's request to pay 8 percent of the employees' 10 percent obligation to the state retirement system, and he also allowed the union to increase its uniform allowance from 150 to 200 per year because that is comparable to what similar police departments in Ohio receive.