Vernon Civilian Police Workers Get Slight Raise With New Contract

VERNON, CT – A dozen civilian workers at the Vernon Police Department have signed a new contract calling for a slight raise through 2020.

Mayor Daniel Champagne said the three-year contact was signed last week between the town and the local United Electrical Radio and Machine Workers of America, a union representing 12 employees, including the supervisor of police records, records clerks, the evidence technician, and police dispatchers.

"I am pleased that we were able to negotiate an agreement with the Union, avoiding the high cost of arbitration," Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro said. "I believe this agreement both recognizes the contributions of ourvalued employees as well as our fiscal responsibility to our taxpayers."

Details of the contract include:

• Wage increases of 1.25 percent in years 1 and 2 of the contract and a 1.5 percent increase in year 3 three as well as "additional compensation benefits."
• The contract increases the union members’ health insurance premium share from 10 percent to 13 percent in the last four months of the contract, which expires on June 30, 2020. Members pay a 50 percent deductible.
• Under the new Agreement, employee sick and vacation time payout on new hires becomes non-pensionable.

"During contract negotiations, our employees maintained a high degree of professionalism, ensuring the timely delivery of emergency services that I expect my departmentto provide our residents," Vernon Police Chief James Kenny said.

Added Purcaro, "In the upcoming year, I look forward to working with the new leadership of the union in negotiating a successor agreement. Together, I am confident we will implement best practices and operational efficiencies that address the significant challenges facing our community, including the state budget crisis and increasing pressure to regionalize services."

Photo Credit: Chris Dehnel

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