Youngstown council to vote on ranking-officers contract

By David Skolnick

YOUNGSTOWN — Besides a three-year freeze in their annual base salaries, members of the police ranking-officers union agreed to have those promoted wait three years to reach the top pay scale for the position rather than reach it right away.

The union members also agreed to reductions in various perks.

In exchange, the city agreed not to lay off any of the union’s members unless the state puts Youngstown in fiscal emergency.

Without that state designation, reductions in the union’s membership could occur only through retirements and resignations, or firings for just cause. (About a dozen ranking officers are expected to retire by next year through a special pension program offered by the state.)

City council is to vote today on the three-year contract.

The Youngstown Police Ranking Officers Unit — which represents 53 detective sergeants, lieutenants and captains — voted Jan. 28 by a 2-to-1 margin in favor of the deal.

Mayor Jay Williams said the union and the city administration worked hard on the contract to keep costs down because of “economic environment. There’s a shared appreciation for what the city is experiencing and to those who we are here to serve: our constituents.”

The city administration is working on the 2010 budget that has a deficit of about $3 million to $3.5 million.

The union contract expired Nov. 30, 2009.

The contract calls for no increases in annual base salaries. But if the city’s financial situation improves, the contract can be reopened 18 months into it to discuss a pay increase.

Detective sergeants will continue to earn $62,541 a year in base pay. But those promoted to the position will start at $59,414 and won’t reach the current annual base-pay amount until three full years at that rank.

Those promoted to lieutenant would start at $68,326 in annual base pay, and it would take three years at that rank to reach $71,922, the position’s current annual salary.

Those promoted to captain would start at $78,575 in annual base pay. After three years, they’d earn $82,711, the annual base pay for those now serving as captains.

The ranking officers agreed to give up a uniform allowance during the first year of the contract. In the deal’s second and third years, they would receive $1,050 annually in uniform allowance, down from the $1,085 they were paid in the last year of the expired contract.

Longevity pay — given for every year an officer is with the department — was reduced from $65.25 to $65. Also, hazardous-duty pay — also given annually to each officer on the force — drops from $805 to $780.

Those with associate degrees will receive $395 rather than $405 annually. Those with bachelor’s degrees will get $455 rather than $465, and those with master’s degrees will be paid $545 annually rather than $561.

Members of the union will continue to contribute 10 percent of their monthly health-care premiums. Health care also includes a prescription-drug plan and dental and vision coverage.

Monthly health-care premiums for union members are $461 for individuals and $1,164 for family coverage.

City council approved a three-year contract with no increases in base pay two weeks ago with the patrol-officers union.

skolnick@vindy.com