The city of Westland and members of the Westland Police Officers Association have reached an agreement on a new 4-year union contract.
Members of the Westland City Council approved the collective bargaining agreement with the union during the regular council meeting May 4. Some conditions in the new contract will be retroactive to July 1, 2019 and continue through June 30, 2023.
The Westland Police Officers Association (WPOAM) represents 43 patrol officers in the city. Union representatives and members of the city negotiating team negotiated the new four-year agreement which includes a 2-percent wage increase for each of the years of the agreement as well as a change of the pension multiplier used to determine the amount of retirement pensions. The new multiplier will increase from 1.8 percent to 2.25 percent on base wages, plus overtime for employees hired on or after July 1, 2014.
In an effort to reduce the city “legacy costs” for retirement benefits, the employee pension contribution will increase to 6 percent for officers hired prior to July 1, 2014 and an increase to 5 percent for employees hired on or after July 1, 2014. The agreement also adds an option of an alternative Defined Contribution Plan for new hires in lieu of enrolling in the Defined Benefit Plan.
“This agreement is the work of lengthy negotiations between the WPOAM union and the city's negotiating team,” commented Mayor William R. Wild.
“This contract puts the city in a position to recruit the best and brightest from the police academy and will improve retention of our trained personnel.”
