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City of Seattle
Gregory J. Nickels, Mayor
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NEWS ADVISORY
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| SUBJECT: City, Police Guild Reach Tentative Agreement on Four-Year Contract
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
4/24/2008 3:00:00 PM |
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Alex Fryer (206) 684-8358
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City, Police Guild Reach Tentative Agreement on Four-Year Contract
Officers to receive 25.6 percent wage increase, subject to members’ vote
SEATTLE – Mayor Greg Nickels today announced the city has reached a tentative agreement with the Seattle Police Officers’ Guild, increasing wages by 25.6 percent over the life of the four-year contract.
Under the proposed contract, starting salaries will immediately increase by 8 percent on top of the 25.6 percent raise. There will be no changes in health care benefits and new shifts will match the workload of the mayor’s Neighborhood Policing Plan. With the conclusion of these negotiations and discussions, all 29 recommendations for improving Seattle’s police accountability system, made by the mayor’s Police Accountability Review Panel earlier this year, will be implemented.
“The men and women who serve in the Seattle Police Department deserve our highest praise and respect for the work they do keeping our city safe every day of the year,” Nickels said. “The proposed contract recognizes their dedication and service and it will help us recruit strong candidates as we work to expand our patrol force.”
Nickels added, “It also recognizes the importance of ensuring we have a police accountability system which the public and police officers believe in.”
With this wage increase, Seattle becomes the top-paid police agency in the state, based on current contracts. And it will both allow the department to retain veteran officers and fully implement the mayor’s Neighborhood Policing Plan to expand the patrol force by 25 percent and provide officers with more time to work proactively on public safety issues.
Police Chief Gil Kerlikowske echoed the mayor’s sentiments. “The end result of months of negotiations and discussions is a contract offer that recognizes the professionalism of our police officers. They perform a difficult, dangerous and vital job for our community day in and day out.”
Under the proposal, officers would receive at least a 25.6 percent wage increase compounded over the life of the four-year contract. Base wages would increase by 8 percent in 2007, 4 percent in 2008, and 5.5 percent in 2009. In 2010, base wages would increase by that year’s cost of living adjustment, plus 3 percent. The contract stipulates the overall increase in 2010 be no lower than 6 percent and no greater than 9 percent.
Under the proposed contract, a 12-year officer’s current salary will increase from $72,072 to $90,516. That officer will receive $6,807 in retroactive pay, as of April 2008. Entry-level police officer pay would increase by 35.9 percent compounded over the life of the contract, from $47,340 to $64,312.
The proposed contract, coupled with existing recruiting incentives, will help Seattle hire an additional 150 police officers. These incentives include:
- $5,000 hiring incentive
- $2,500 in equipment provided to new recruits
- $14,000 (maximum) potential moving allowance
The shift changes are tied to the mayor’s Neighborhood Policing Plan, which puts officers where they’re needed, when they’re needed. Patrol officers’ work shifts will be revised to match the workload.
The police accountability system recommendations were provided by an 11-member panel Nickels appointed in June 2007 to perform a thorough and comprehensive review of Seattle’s police accountability system. The panel members were: Judge Terrence A. Carroll, ret., chair; Bob Boruchowitz, vice chair; Jenny A. Durkan; Lorena González; Pramila Jayapal; Gary Locke; Hubert G. Locke; Judith Krebs; Mike McKay; Norman B. Rice; and Jennifer Shaw.
After seven months of work, the 2007 Police Accountability Review Panel released its final report on Jan. 29, 2008. The panel concluded the general structure of Seattle’s police oversight system – with its civilian director, auditor and review board – should continue. The panel found all three components play roles in the oversight process. The panel also found many aspects of the current police accountability system are valuable and encourage an effective citizen-complaint process.
The panel did, however, find room for improvement and provided Nickels with 29 specific recommendations for enhancing and strengthening the police accountability system in the following four areas:
- Accountability & Public Confidence
- Independence
- Professional Conduct
- Transparency
The panel’s recommendations focused on the following areas:
- Expanding the role of the OPA auditor;
- Increasing independence and authority of the OPA director;
- Establishing the OPA Review Board as the key link to the community;
- Maximizing public access to information regarding the accountability system;
- Maintaining the highest professional standards; and
- Enhancing the cooperation and coordination of the OPA entities.
Nickels accepted all 29 recommendations and immediately implemented more than half of them. Thanks to the tentative contract, the city will now be able to implement all 29 recommendations.
The contract offer is subject to member approval and Council ratification.
Visit the mayor’s web site at www.seattle.gov/mayor. Get the mayor’s inside view on efforts to promote transportation, public safety, economic opportunity and healthy communities by signing up for The Nickels Newsletter at www.seattle.gov/mayor/newsletter_signup.htm
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Office of the Mayor
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