New Elgin police contract calls for 3% annual raises
A new three-year city contract with Elgin police calls for 3% annual raises, merit raises of up to 4% and a “mental health day” off for any officer who completes the police department’s voluntary Healthy Minds Program.
Elgin City Council members signed off on the deal Wednesday night after more than a year of negotiations between city administrators and Elgin Police Benevolent and Protective Association of Illinois Unit #54. Talks had been acrimonious on occasion, with union members at one point taking a no-confidence vote against Police Chief Ana Lalley.
Under the agreement, the starting salary for a rookie police officer will be $79,984. That will increase to $82,384 on Jan. 1, 2024, and to $84,865 on Jan. 1, 2025.
Salary ranges are based on six steps, with new officers starting at Step I.
If the rookie receives a satisfactory performance evaluation after his or her first six months, they will advance to Step II and then move on to higher steps following satisfactory annual evaluations until they reach Step VI, which can be attained within five years, officials said.
This year salaries at that top step start at $109,950 and increase by 3% to $113,249 next year and to $120,146 on Jan. 1, 2025.
This year’s 3% pay increase is retroactive to Jan. 1, when the previous contract expired.
One of the collective bargaining sticking points was wages, and a thirdparty labor negotiator had to be brought in when negotiations reached an impasse in April.
Contract talks began in August 2022, and by fall of that year the union’s 150 members had a taken no-confidence vote, citing Lalley’s alleged unfair disciplinary practices, mismanagement and potential for backlash when bringing concerns to the chief or her administration.
At the time, city manager Rick Kozal called the action a negotiating tactic and stood behind Lalley.
No changes were made in the disciplinary or grievance processes in the new contract. However, the contract does include some modifications in education requirements for new officers and has added Juneteenth as a paid holiday.
It also includes an incentive meant to encourage participation in the police department’s Healthy Minds Program. Any officer who successfully completes the program, which includes meeting with a health professional four times, will receive an eight-hour mental health day. The department is trying to promote mental health wellness among employees through the voluntary program, officials said.
The department also is continuing its voluntary physical fitness program through which officers who complete a series of challenges, including running 1.5 miles in a set time and doing a specified number of situps in one minute, receive a $400 fitness premium.
Male officers must complete 1.5 miles in 13 minutes, 46 seconds, and female officers in 16:21.
For situps, male officers must do 37 in one minute and female officers 31. Failure to reach those goals will not affect employment.
The council vote on the new contract was unanimous.
“It took some time, but we found common ground and got a contract,” Councilman Anthony Ortiz said at the Wednesday night meeting.