East Hartford council ratifies contract with 2% annual raise for police
Feb. 3—EAST HARTFORD — The Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to renew the town contract with the police officers union, granting a 2% raise in each of the four years.
The contract with the East Hartford Police Officers Association, which covers 122 police staff, will grant union members a 2% annual wage increase from 2021 to 2024, for a net increase of more than 8%. All members will also receive a $1,000 bonus upon ratification of the contract.
Between wage increases and bonuses, the total cost to taxpayers for the contract over its life will be $2.4 million.
POLICE CONTRACT
WHAT: The town negotiated a new contract with the East Hartford Police Officers Association that grants 2% raises in each of four years and keeps them on the town healthcare policy.
WHEN: The contract is effective until June 30, 2025.
Mayor Mike Walsh said at Tuesday's meeting that a disagreement between union leaders and the town over healthcare benefits meant the contract was heading towards arbitration until a compromise was achieved.
Walsh said the union wanted to move to the state medical plan, which caused an impasse.
"In and of itself that's not a bad thing, but the benefit level the state partnership provides is higher than the existing Anthem BlueCross plan we provide," Walsh said, and it would reduce the total staff population that self-insures and subsequently cause an immediate rise in costs to other town employees.
Walsh said he ultimately hammered out an agreeable contract with union leadership.
Police Chief Scott Sansom said at Tuesday's meeting that he believes the contract is fair to both sides, and the new union leaders have been good to work with.
"Over the last few years we have had some difficulty, and this is a totally new union," Sansom said.
Sansom said the negotiations were a transparent process and that he appreciates the work the administration and Town Council put in.
"The men and women of the East Hartford Police Department, they do more with less every year, but they do appreciate the support the council and the mayor gives them," Sansom said.
Union president Richard Dube said Wednesday afternoon that the terms of the contract were "overwhelmingly approved" by union members, who he thanked for their patience during the negotiation process.
"Police officers are facing tremendous challenges these days. But through it all, our police officers have maintained a high level of police services while responding to approximately 40,000 calls for service a year," Dube said, adding that the town is fortunate to have them.
Council Chairman Rich Kehoe said at Tuesday's meeting that while police are often driven by a sense of duty to serve, "that doesn't pay the bills here or now," and he is happy to see a contract that is fair to employees and absorbable into the budget.
"I commend everybody who was part of that, both on the police union side as well as the administration side, for coming up with this agreement," Kehoe said.
Councilman Harry Amadsun, Jr. said at Tuesday's meeting that it's good arbitration was avoided and commended the administration on the contract negotiations.
In other business Tuesday, the Town Council approved the sale of a one-foot wide parcel in the North Meadows neighborhood, behind the Hoffman and Gengras car dealerships, to the neighboring Enterprise car rental company for $20,000.
Kehoe said the lot was originally designated for construction of a cross street named Congress Street, but it was never built. The council voted unanimously to set March 15 as the date for a public hearing on the discontinuation of Congress Street as a town highway.
Joseph covers East Hartford and South Windsor. He joined the JI in July 2021. Joseph graduated from the University of Connecticut and he is an avid guitarist and coffee enthusiast.
