Police Association Accepts Report On Contract

The mem­bers of the Defi­ance Police Offi­cers Asso­ci­a­tion have accepted a state fact finder’s report on a new three-year con­tract pro­posal that now clears the way for city coun­cil to con­sider an ordi­nance agree­ing to the three-year deal retroac­tive to Jan. 1. The fact finder agreed with a pro­posal for 2.75 per­cent annual raises for three years, but rejected the city’s plan to slash the sick leave retire­ment pay pro­vi­sion for police offi­cers from a max­i­mum 960 hours to 480 hours. The fact finder also nixed the police union’s request for longevity pay. The agree­ment with the police marked the last of the three city employee unions to reach agree­ment on a new con­tract. Had the city and police union not agreed to the fact finder’s report, the mat­ter would have gone to arbi­tra­tion. The fact finder’s cost was approx­i­mately $4,000, with the city and the police union split­ting the expense.