AURORA | Aurora’s police officers union is on the verge of signing a new two-year contract with the city of Aurora that includes raises for all officers based on years of service and rank.
Officer Mark Finnin, president of the Aurora Police Association, said the union was poised to finish voting on a proposed contract June 18.
Finnin, who said he expects the union to approve the deal, said it includes raises for all officers, but it’s not an across-the-board pay hike. There are no pay cuts or wage freezes in the proposed deal, he said.
“Everybody gets raises but it varies,” he said.
Finnin said that based on what he has heard, the union is likely to agree to the measure. After that, the contract will be presented to city council, which will have to vote on it before it can become official.
Details of the contract were not released, and the net increased cost to the city was not disclosed.
Kim Stuart, a spokeswoman for the city of Aurora, said if the union approves the contract, city council will likely vote on it sometime in mid-July, but a vote has not yet been scheduled.
Finnin said the negotiations weren’t as contentious as they have been in previous years.
“Initially it was a little difficult,” he said. “But ultimately we were able to come together on a proposal that was the result of open discussion and dialogue between the city and us.”
In the past, the city and the police union have butted heads over a variety of issues, including the number of officers on the streets and pay freezes for the rank and file.
In 2012, the last time the police union and the city negotiated a new contract, the negotiations were particularly combative. The police union, along with the fire union, filed a lawsuit against the city demanding access to data regarding their healthcare plans.
The police union and the city appeared to be at an impasse and headed for arbitration, but the two sides worked out a last minute deal that avoided arbitration that year.
When will they give the Detention officers a raise those guys work hard
I’m thinking the absence of Dan Oates is the game changer this go round.
Be careful Mark Finnen. Council is notorious for throwing the cops tiny increases in pay. It’s insulting to see how they treat the LEO’s.
Your ability to negotiate will only impress if the street cops finally get taken care of over the six figure paper pushers up top.
Last but not least, make sure council has to belly up and hire more help for the influx of calls. You and I both know the public is being lied to when it comes to our agency having enough cops. They can only handle one call at a time no matter how much you pay them…..