Contract negotiations with St. Pete Beach police stall

The city has offered a 1percent increase in the first year of the proposed deal. Officers want raises of 3percent each year.

ST. PETE BEACH - Contract negotiations between the city and the police union are stalled because of a disagreement over wages.

The union, which represents rank-and-file officers, wants a 3 percent cost-of-living allowance each year for three years. The city's offer is a 1 percent wage increase for the first year and an increase according to the consumer price index for each of the following two years.

The difference between the two deals for the first year overall is $45,000.

For an entry level officer, the difference is $681. For a sergeant earning the maximum wage, the difference is $1,234.

Negotiations began last May, and the existing contract expired Sept. 30.

Missing a deadline isn't uncommon.

Neither side seems willing to compromise.

"This contract would probably be settled quickly if it wasn't for the pay," said Tim Ingold, president of Pinellas Lodge 43 for the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents all of the sworn officers in St. Pete Beach, besides the chief and captain.

City Manager Mike Bonfield agrees, but says the city isn't willing to budge. Officials already agreed to pay more than their original offer, he said.

"You're talking about a difference of 2 percent," Bonfield said. "You're not talking about a huge difference."

Try telling that to the police officers, who feel city officials are turning their backs on them, Ingold said. Morale at the department is at an all-time low, he said, with some officers talking about leaving.

"I don't want to say they're losing faith, but they're very disappointed about what's happening down there," Ingold said.

In January, the agency had 32 sworn officers. It now has 29. City officials say one position was eliminated, one was filled by a civilian and two are open.

The FOP questions why the city agreed to give firefighters a 3 percent cost-of-living allowance for the first year of a new, three-year agreement, which was authorized by the commission Tuesday. And, union leaders criticize the 6 percent pay raise granted to Bonfield by commissioners earlier this year.

City officials say the Police Department got a sweet deal when it renegotiated its contract three years ago. They say it's now time to bring the firefighters' salaries up to par with other local fire departments. "This is an attempt to equalize things," Bonfield said.

If city officials and the police union reach an impasse, a mediator would try to bring the two sides together. Ultimately, the commission would end up ruling on the issue during a public meeting.

But some fear what's really at stake is the department itself, Ingold said. They wonder if the city's goal is to dismantle the police force and contract with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office.

"Nobody will confirm that," Ingold said. "But those rumors are widespread."

Bonfield said there hasn't been any discussion from commissioners about dismantling the department. Only the residents have the power to do so.

In 1998, almost 75 percent of voters approved adding a clause to the City Charter ensuring the city keeps its Police Department. A referendum is required to disband the agency.

At a recent commission meeting, a handful of residents voiced their concerns about the Police Department, especially the city's recent decision to hire a civilian instead of an officer to fill a supervisory position.

Richard Miranda told the commissioners there were some decisions that "should not be made solely on dollars and cents and, if the officers felt more comfortable with a sworn officer, they should have that."

In an effort to trim personnel costs, which compose about 70 percent of the city budget, Bonfield has eliminated various positions, mainly through attrition. "We need to get to a better bottom line," Bonfield said.

Earlier this year, officials didn't plan to give raises to any employees for the first year of their contract, but later revised their offers after preliminary budget figures fared better than expected.

However, the city still must take $180,000 from reserves to meet its payroll budget for the fiscal year which began Oct. 1.

The city and the International Association of Fire Fighters agreed to a 3 percent cost-of-living allowance for the first year and an increase according to the consumer price index for each of the following two years.

The city currently is negotiating a three-year deal with its civilian labor union, the Communications Workers of America, to give its employees a 2 percent wage increase and an increase according to the consumer price index for each of the next two years. Both contracts expired Sept. 30.

When St. Pete Beach and the police union hammered out a contract three years ago, the city boosted its officers' salaries to bring them in line with other agencies. The result: The department became the highest-paid force among area police agencies, with some officers' salaries increasing between 20 and 30 percent over a three-year period.

Since 2000, other area police departments have negotiated new contracts and St. Pete Beach's ranking has slipped. "We've watched it go from No. 1 to No. 8," Ingold said.

The union president points to Clearwater, where police will earn a 3 percent raise the first year of their three-year contract, followed by 4 percent raises in each of the next two years.

"If we fall too far behind, we're not going to be attracting the quality personnel we want to," said Sgt. Phil Riles, the FOP representative for St. Pete Beach police.

"The bottom line is you have to give the guys a fair wage," Ingold said.

Bonfield said the city is doing that. Even without any raises, he said, the starting salary for a St. Pete Beach officer - $34,039 - is still above average.

And, he said, some police officers will receive automatic pay hikes, called "step" raises, in addition to annual cost-of-living increases.

"If they would just understand that they are getting good salaries," Commissioner Pete Blank said.

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