EVANSVILLE, IN (WFIE) -
The Fraternal Order of Police has reached a contract agreement with the City of Evansville. That package now goes before city council.
The speed of this agreement, 14 News is told by FOP leaders, was something they are not used to when it comes to reaching contract agreements. The last time around negotiations took over a year.
Mayor Winnecke says the city went into things knowing the two sides weren't going to agree on everything, but wanted disagreements to be professional and not personal.
That plan seems to have worked well.
To some, four months may seem like a long time to work out a contract, but when it comes to an agreement between the City of Evansville and the FOP, Chuck Knoll, the FOP treasurer says it's unheard of.
What in the past would still be going on for months is now already in place and waiting for approval from city council.
Knoll says this is the quickest they've settled on a contract with the city in at least 15 years.
"It's a nice, refreshing change from what we've had in the past," Knoll said.
The new three-year deal includes a three percent wage increase in 2013, a two percent increase the following two years, and health insurance premiums will stay put.
"We think the city can afford a three percent pay raise in 2013 and that certainly bodes well I think," said Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke. "I think it sends a pretty clear message about what we think we can do for the entire workforce in 2013."
"A lot of departments across the state are struggling to maintain status quo and we're very fortunate to look at a multi-year contract with wage increases and no increases in health care," Knoll said.
Both the city and FOP agree reaching common ground means more than 280 active Evansville Police Officers have one less thing to worry about.
"I want the men and women in this case the Evansville Police Department. To focus on what they do best, and that is provide extreme public safety to our community," Winnecke said.
The city council, along with a few other boards, still has to approve the contract so this is still a tentative agreement.
It would go into effect January 1, 2013.
Mayor Winnecke says knowing the numbers before budget hearings next month should make things easier for the council when it comes time to crunch the numbers.
The police budget, the mayor says, is around $33 million or $34 million.
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What in the past would still be going on for months is now already in place and waiting for approval from city council.
