Shelby police personnel secure wage increases with new labor deal
As 2023 was coming to a close, the city of Shelby had reached three-year agreements with all three bargaining units of the police department, records obtained this week show.
For Shelby police officers and dispatchers and the dispatch unit, they include a 12 percent base wage increase in the first year, followed by 3 percent increases in both the second and third years, newly obtained records show.
The three separate collective bargaining agreements involve the city of Shelby and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 180.
They cover the dispatch unit, patrol officers, and sergeants and captains.
“I am pleased to inform you that we have reached solid tentative agreements with all three bargaining units of our police department,” Shelby Mayor Steve Schag wrote in a Dec. 14 memo announcing tentative agreements to Shelby council members.
Document drafts provide details of what at the
time was called the tentative agreement.
For patrol officers, the new hourly wage rates effective the first full pay period of the year are:
– Year one: 12 percent base wage increase, $27.33, $28.03, $30.70
– Year two: 3 percent base wage increase, $28.15, $28.87, $31.62
– Year three: 3 percent base wage increase, $28.99, $29.74, $32.57
For the dispatch unit, the new wage rates:
– Year one: 12 percent base wage increase, $19.51, $20.18, and $24.68
– Year two: 3 percent base wage increase, $20.10, $20.79, $25.42
– Year three: 3 percent base wage increase, $20.70, $21.41, $26.18
For sergeants and captains, records show the base rate. For sergeants, that would be 15 percent over the base wage of the most senior patrolman. The base wage for captain would be 10 percent over and above the base wage of sergeant.
Other details outlined in documents:
– Year one: sergeants, $35.31, captains, $38.84
– Year two: sergeants, $36.36, captains, $40
– Year three: sergeants, $37.46, captains, $41.21
In the Dec. 14 letter to council members, Mayor
Schag conveyed optimism that the legislative draft of the contracts would be ready by the upcoming Monday, Dec. 18.
The Shelby City Council had an executive session to discuss the documents on Dec. 18 and later approved ordinance No. 37-2023 by a 5-0 vote.
As of Feb. 27, Mayor Schag said he had not received signed copies of labor agreements.
A public records request first was made with the city on Jan. 17, renewed Jan. 30 and made verbally to Mayor Schag on Feb. 20. No information was received from the city.
No formal announcement has been made by either the city or the FOP. Documents called for the wages to be effective the first full pay period of each year.
On Feb. 27, Schag said though he was still awaiting final signatures, he confirmed that the new wages were in place.
“At that new rate because it was ratified, and it was passed by council,” he said. “So it’s all said and done.”
Schag specified that he was awaiting the signature pages.
“The lawyer for the union and our lawyer want to make sure that that final draft of that agreement is what they have,” Schag said of the signature pages.
“If there were some tweaks on whatever, say overtime or whatever, and then once everybody’s satisfied with that, then normally the way it works for us is that their side will sign it,” Schag said.
“It’s just weird, though, that I’ve never seen it take this long,” he said.
In addition to Mayor Schag, those signing the document would include the union, the finance director and then the city’s lawyer, Schag said.