By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer
June 29, 2004
The police union has agreed to continue negotiating with the town until at least Aug. 1 to reach a new pact, said Sgt. Timothy Berry, president of the Silver Shield Association. The union's contract expires on Thursday.
The Silver Shield Association represents 152 police officers. When the union's last contract with the town expired in 1999, it took almost two years to finalize an agreement for a new one.
"I don't think it will take that long to get an agreement this time," Berry said last week.
Police Chief James Walters was out of town yesterday and not available for comment.
In the five-year contract that expires Thursday, union members received a 2.75 percent wage increase the first year, a 3 percent increase in the second year and a 3.25 percent increase in each of the subsequent three years. The raises barely kept up with inflation, Berry said previously.
"That shows you how important the police department is in the town of Greenwich, or the fire department, or anybody else for that matter," he said this month. He did not return calls yesterday.
Town officials estimated last month that municipal employees could see a 10 percent increase in the cost of their health insurance premiums this year, while municipal retirees could see a 30 percent increase.
Al Cava, the town's labor relations director,said the expired contract will remain in place while the two parties continue negotiating. Union and town officials have been meeting since the spring, he said.
Silver Shield representatives met with Cava yesterday, and another negotiating session is scheduled for Thursday. Cava declined to elaborate on the issues being discussed.
The town's contracts with three other unions -- Greenwich Firefighters Local 1042, Connecticut Public Health Nurses Association Local 1303-222 and Teamsters Local 456 -- also expire Thursday. The current terms will remain in effect until new contracts are signed, Cava said.
Representatives of those unions could not be reached last night.
The unions represent 714 of about 2,414 full-time municipal employees. Their expiring contracts ranged from three to five years and guarantee annual raises from 3 percent to 3.25 percent, with the town paying 93 percent of workers' health care premiums.
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