More and more, police unions around the state who are upset with towns that have taken a hard line in negotiations are turning to arbitration.
Yet while municipal officials insist the process favors their town's finest, raising their local budgets, police unions say it's their only recourse when town fathers (and mothers) won't budge.
Money is tight, everywhere, both sides acknowledge. But there has to be a way to find a deal that satisfies everyone.
And that, frankly, seems impossible.
So going to binding arbitration becomes the only other recourse -- provided good faith efforts have been made to agree on a contract. -- because those who protect the public's safety cannot strike.
Despite the complaints of municipal officials, the trend has been headed slightly downward.
Average salary increase for arbitration awards dipped slightly last year, to 3.73 percent from 3.77 percent, according to PERC. Salary increases from voluntary settlements averaged 3.92 percent, down from 3.97 percent in 2007.
In addition to considering how much a town is able to pay, the Public Employment Relations Commission uses data from comparable towns to determine salary increases and what benefits officers should get.
In North Jersey, nearly a half-dozen awards made by arbitrators this year average 3.92 a year in their overall impact on police salaries over the life of the contracts, PERC records show.
A long-running contract dispute in Englewood finally ended in December, with police getting 4 percent hikes for 2007 through this year, and a 3.8 percent increase for next year.
Fort Lee police, similarly, got 4 percent for 2007-08 and 3.5 percent for this year and next.
North Arlington police, who filed for arbitration nearly a year ago, got 15.25 percent over four years in September.
Even if the town wins, it costs money. Arbitrators charge roughly $1,500 a day. I it loses, there's a potential domino effect on similar towns in the area.
Tenafly's previous pact expired in December. But PBA Local 376 has been unable to move the borough on a variety of issues -- the biggest being salary increases.
Although neither side would disclose specifics, the officers have gotten 4 percent pay hikes each of the past four years under the previous deal.
Both sides have also haggled over clothing allowances, bereavement pay and court-time pay, among other issues.
So the union has taken its case to the Public Employment Relations Commission to initiate arbitration.
Tenafly, a New York City bedroom community with nearly 14,000 people, has 37 officers and a chief.
Comments