December 25, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 5 Waldwick PBA, borough reach three-year agreement Waldwick police lieutenants, sergeants and officers at the top step of the salary guide will be receiving a 1.75 per- cent raise over each of the next three years under an agree- ment reached recently between the borough and PBA Local 217. The three salary guides in effect for the nine officers who have yet to reach the top step will be frozen, so that they will receive the guide amount but no additional increase. Each guide step is worth several thousand dollars. “We are pleased that we could reach this agreement with the PBA without the need for arbitrators in the spirit of true collective bargaining,” commented Borough Administra- tor Gary Kratz, who negotiated on behalf of the borough. “As with any collective bargaining agreement, neither side gets everything that they want, but the contract has pro- visions that will benefit this community and that benefit our employees over the next three years and beyond,” he added. “We all worked together to create a contract that is ben- eficial to both the PBA bargaining unit and the Borough of Waldwick,” said Det. Sgt. Doug Moore, the PBA’s chief negotiator. The contract covers all sworn police officers with the exception of the chief of police. The contract officially incorporates the 12-hour shift agreement, reached following an arbitrator’s ruling in 2011, while at the same time “capping overtime to protect the borough,” said Councilman Don Sciolaro, a member of the borough’s negotiations team. Others were Mayor Tom Giordano and Assistant Administrator Andrew Tatarenko. Negotiating for the PBA, in addition to Sgt. Moore, were Sgt. Troy Seifert and officers Jody Zuzeck, Dave Passaretti and Brian Finale. “The pilot program is working well. Mr. Kratz and the chief have gotten positive feedback,” Sciolaro said of the 12-hour shifts. The contract specifies six holidays (Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiv- ing Day and Christmas) which will earn an officer a “red dot day” (an additional day off), if he or she has to work that day as part of the regular schedule. The previous con- tract provided 13 red dot days. PBA members will pay double their current contribu- tion for dental insurance, with single coverage deductions going to $2 per week and coverage for two or more parties increasing to $4 per week. Employees hired after Jan. 1, 2014 will no longer receive college credits, and their longevity rates will be limited to 2.5 percent, half the current amount. And at the request of the PBA, the guide will be expanded from 11 steps to 14. The clothing allowance will be increased by $50 in year two of the contract. The new contract also contains a provision phasing in the pay increase when a patrolman is promoted to sergeant. If the individual is in grade two to five when the promotion takes place, the increase to the sergeant pay level would be made in two annual installments of one half of the differ- ence each year. If in grades six to 11, it would be made in three annual installments of one third the difference each (continued on page 6)