BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Police officers assigned to schools in Palm Beach County will likely receive a salary increase under terms of a new deal that must be ratified by members of the PBA.
According to Palm Beach County Schools:
The School District of Palm Beach County and the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) have reached Tentative Agreement on contract negotiations. This agreement provides a wage increase for approximately 160 employees represented by the union.The two sides had been in negotiations since last May and concluded bargaining on December 5, 2012.
Some highlights of the agreement include:
·School police officers will receive a 2% ‘net’ base salary increase retroactive to July, 2012.The 2% ‘net’ increase refers to a 3.5% across-the-board salary increase less the 1.5% value of the PBA Performance-Based Pay Plan which has been suspended for 2013 per this agreement.
·In addition, PBA employees will receive a one-time bonus of $500.
·Replaces the step salary schedule with a min-max salary schedule.
·Incorporates the Insurance Benefit changes into the PBA Contract that were negotiated earlier in coalition bargaining.
·As a one calendar year pilot, provisions for a new sick leave donation plan, as allowed by FS 1012.61, are now included in the PBA Contract that permit Officers to donate sick leave to a fellow Officer.
·The definition of “light duty” as it relates to Workers Compensation will now be in the Contract.
·Establishes an eight-member joint committee to study and recommend revisions to the current Performance Based Pay Plan to make it more stringent.Implementation of these recommendations is subject to future negotiations.
·Revises the Attendance Incentive Program to reward an Officer $250, minus standard deductions, who has perfect attendance (with certain limited exceptions) for approximately each nine-week grading period as set forth in the adopted School Calendar.The program previously awarded a $700 incentive for perfect attendance over a six month period.
·The Grievance Procedure is streamlined and updated.
·The right to conduct random drug testing of Officers is included in the Contract with no objection from PBA or the Officers it represents.
·Job vacancies will be posted on the bulletin board and also posted via email to all Officers.
·At least three (3) meetings per year will be scheduled and conducted between three (3) representatives of the Police Department’s command staff (including the Chief) and three (3) PBA representatives to discuss and review issues of importance to the parties.
·Establishes a new two-calendar year Contract between the SDPBC and PBA effective January 1, 2012 through December 31, 2013. The Contract can be reopened on salary should State funding for FY 14 prove to be inadequate to fund the economic provisions of the new Contract; OR should the District incur a liability prior to June 30, 2013 as a result of the final judicial or legislative resolution of the Florida Supreme Court case Scott vs. Williams.
PBA will be conducting a ratification vote of its represented employees later this month. The retroactive wage increases back to July 1, 2012 and the one-time $500 bonus payments will be made after employee ratification and School Board approval of this new Agreement. Pending employee ratification and School Board approval, these wage increases and bonus payments will be made in January.
