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Highland Park police contract settled
Updated: December 31, 2012 11:43AM
HIGHLAND PARK — The city of Highland Park has reached a retroactive contract settlement with its police officers that covers the two-year period that ended Dec. 31.
The pact covers police officers below the rank of sergeant, who were represented by Teamsters Local Union 700 through 2010 but are now represented by the Illinois Council of Police.
Police officers receive increases in their base pay every six months and step, or experience-based increases, on a schedule that tops out at 6 1/2 years.
Under the new agreement, a top-scale officer with 6 1/2 or more years of experience will receive pay raises totaling 5 percent over the two-year period. A top-scale officer, who would have been earning $79,660 in late 2010, will end the current year earning $83,718.
Officers who are still advancing on the pay scale, and receive both step and base increases, will fare better.
For instance, an officer with four years of experience as of Jan. 1, 2011, will earn $79,731 for the last six months of this year, after receiving combined pay raises of 16 percent.
Union members ratified the agreement by electronic vote on Dec. 4. The city council approved the contract Dec. 19, and amended both the 2012 city budget and the 2013 budget to reflect the terms of the agreement.
