West Chester police have new union contract

The West Chester Twp. police officer union has new contract with the trustees that includes raises as decided by a state conciliator.

The officers’ union contract not calls for a $1,000 addition to base pay, plus a 2.5 percent increase retroactive to 2016 and three percent hikes this year and in 2018, which is what the fact finder found.

The trustees rejected the fact finder’s recommendation earlier this year and instead proposed a one time three percent increase to the officers’ base pay for the life of the three year contract.

RELATED: Townships haggle with unions

Because police cannot strike, when contract talks reach an impasse and fact finder’s recommendations aren’t agreed upon the contract goes to a conciliator for the final decision. The conciliator decided the police are underpaid compared to some of their peers in other communities and the township was too conservative in its revenue projections.

Township spokeswomen Barb Wilson said the trustees did not need to formally adopt the conciliator’s decision but they did sign the new contract.

MORE: West Chester budgets for police body cameras

About the Author