New Castle, Police Union Reach New Contract

The Town of New Castle and its Police Benevolent Association have reached a new, 4-year collective bargaining deal, the town announced.

The new contract runs from Jan. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2017 and calls for salary increases of 1.75 percent for each year. The deal also includes additional longevity compensation increases of $100 per year.

The agreement does not change the existing health insurance contribution level, Town Administrator Penny Paderewski confirmed to Patch. The current contract, which runs from 2010-13, brought the contribution rate up to 15 percent.

The new deal reached gives smaller salary increases comparted to the one in place now. The current agreement, which expires on Dec. 31, included salary raises of 2.65 percent for 2010, 2.50 percent for 2011, and 2.25 percent for 2012 and 2013. The current deal also has a $500 longevity increase for each year it is in effect.

The town board approved the new deal at its March 12 meeting but terms other than the time period it would be in effect were not disclosed to the public because the PBA had yet to approve it.

The deal reached is the newest of several accepted in the past nine years. After an existing contract expired on Dec. 31, 2003, a short deal was reached that lasted until Dec. 31, 2004. The short deal was succeeded by an interest arbitration award covering the subsequent five years, from Jan. 1, 2005 to Dec. 31, 2009, which came before the current agreement.

Officer Kelly Close, president of the PBA, could not be reached for comment.