City, police meet over new pay contract

Scheduling and a cost-of-living pay increase are the main items up for negotiation between the police union and the city of Kalispell.

The two parties continued collective bargaining over a new contract Wednesday at City Hall. The current contract expires June 30.

Police Chief Roger Nasset said that both the city and the Kalispell Police Association are interested in implementing a bidding process for police officers’ schedules.

Nasset said city police used a bidding process some years ago.

Under such a system, the majority of police officers would get the shifts they want, he said.

Currently police officers must work a rotating four-month schedule that consists of day, swing and graveyard shifts.

Under a bid system, the officers would bid for shifts based on seniority. They could choose to bid for a three-shift schedule or a two-shift schedule.

A two-shift schedule likely would result in officers working day and swing shifts or swing and graveyard shifts, for example. They would switch every six months under the two-shift schedule.

There are 31 police officers in the union, not including Nasset, the assistant chief and two lieutenants.

The union is requesting a 3-percent cost-of-living adjustment. The city has countered with no cost-of-living adjustment but would allow an “opener” to reconsider the issue in 2012 if the economy improves.

The union requested a one-year contract. The city countered with an offer of a four-year contract that would be renewed for one-year periods unless either party notifies the other.

Kalispell Police officers received an 18-percent pay increase over the course of their current four-year contract. The increase was staggered over the life of the contract, including a 4-percent raise that took effect in January, Nasset said.

That contract was negotiated prior to the 2008 economic downturn. “Within six months of signing, the economy went downhill,” Nasset said.

City Attorney Charlie Harball noted that those pay raises, which included longevity increases, were made “to catch them up a little because county sheriffs got a substantial bump.” Nasset added that it was also due to pay increases in police departments in the state’s top seven cities.

Current pay for Kalispell police officers (except for the four supervisors) ranges from $22.34 to $33.64 per hour or $46,467 to $69,979 per year, not including benefits.

Kalispell Police officers currently work four 10-hour days and then get three days off.

The union had requested a new schedule of four days on followed by four days off, but that would have reduced officers’ hours by 130 per year, Harball said. With the current number of police officers the city has, it can’t afford to reduce the number of hours they work each year, he said.

The city and police union agreed to view a free webinar from Corona Solutions about a software program that could be used for scheduling.

The city and union will meet again on May 4.

City Human Resources Director Terry Mitton said the city expected health insurance rates to increase between 15 and 18 percent, but currently it looks more like a 10-percent increase.

Reporter Caleb Soptelean may be reached at 758-4483 or by email at csoptelean@dailyinterlake.com.