Press Release | Office of the Mayor | Westland City Council Approves Command Officers Union Contract

For Immediate Release | Official Press Release

PRESS RELEASE

OFFICE OF THE MAYOR

36300 Warren Road | Westland, Michigan | 48185

Office 734.467.3200 | Fax 724.721.2310

WWW.CITYOFWESTLAND.COM

Westland City Council Approves Command Officers Union Contract

At the December 21 Council Meeting, the Westland City Council approved a new collective bargaining agreement with the union that represents the command staff of the Westland Police Department.

The City and the Westland Lieutenants & Sergeants Association bargaining unit, representing 32 command officers including two deputy police chiefs, have negotiated a new five year union contract. With a goal of not only reducing the number of command officers within the Police Department but also reducing the City's "legacy costs," the new contract provides for reduced wages and benefits for new hires and requires all employees to contribute to their pensions and healthcare.

In what Mayor William R. Wild characterizes as a potential "landmark agreement," this contract lays the groundwork for a strategic restructuring of Michigan's 10th largest police agency.

The Westland Police Department currently has a total of 134 employees and 32 command staff. The goal is to ultimately build the department over the next several years by reducing the command staff to 23 which would put the span of control at 1 command position for every 6 employees, which is in line with accepted best practice ratios for police department management. This would be accomplished by eliminating 9 sergeant positions through attrition over a 6 year period with the goal to start replacing them with less-costly patrolmen as the savings accumulate.

"The new contract also recognizes the City's need to manage its finances and live within its means. While the new contract does provide for slight increases in paid leave time and wages, the City will realize a reduction of up to nine command positions as officers retire over the next few years. This agreement will have a positive impact on the city's pension and OPEB liabilities in the future and will help us achieve our overall goal of putting the city in the position to be able to hire additional patrol officers and get more cops on streets without the need for asking for a public safety millage," commented Mayor Wild.

For new hires, the agreement that runs through December 2019 reduces or eliminates the allowances that longer serving employees receive and creates a lower tier of paid leave time. The new contract also requires all employees to contribute toward their pensions and as mandated by Michigan P.A. 152, cost sharing for healthcare. Pay increases are tied to the WPOAM Patrol & Dispatch contract and provide for 2% raises in 2015 and 2016 with no further pay increases negotiated although a wage re-opener for the WPOAM unit will occur in 2017.

"Similar employee cost sharing and lower wages and benefits for new hires are now in effect for department directors, and the supervisory, AFSCME, patrol and fire unions;" Wild continued. "Upon reaching age 65, retirees will be taken off the City's health insurance and will receive a stipend instead to purchase Medicare Advantage plans of their choosing. New hires will receive a health care savings plan as their retiree healthcare. Both changes are expected to lower the City's "other post-employment benefit" liability for these employees that is a future cost to the City and affects the City's bond rating;" he concluded.

Kyle Dawley, WLSA President, commented "we are pleased to achieve a new five year contract that we believe is fair and that addresses the needs of our members while helping the City manage its finances and ensure residents receive high quality service from the Police Department."

For more information, contact Aubrey Berman, Administrative Secretary,
at (734) 467-3200.

Westland, Michigan is the state's 10th largest municipality, with a population of over 84,000 people who exhibit a great deal of pride in their All-American City. Westland has a thriving business community along with beautiful residential areas. The citizens enjoy a wide array of amenities and a quality of life that is second to none.

In 2014, Westland was rated as one of 24/7 Wall Street's America's Best 50 Cities to Live, offering residents and visitors an ideal blend of single-family affordable homes, apartments and condominiums, great schools, and access to numerous outdoor activities. Public safety is delivered by full-service, professional law enforcement and firefighting personnel. Westland Police Department, whose motto is protect and serve, provides emergency dispatch services to four cities and over 100,000 residents; the Western Wayne Fire Association firefighters collaboratively serving the Cities of Wayne and Westland are licensed paramedics who responded to over 13,000 calls for service last year, about 85% being medical based. They never forget their mission of preserving life and property.

Westland is well-known as the premier destination for shopping and dining in Wayne County with hundreds of shops and restaurants anchored by the Westland Shopping Center, one of the country's original four regional malls.

Infinite opportunities are available in Westland for the recreation aficionado including, more that 40 parks and 1,500 acres of trails, a 9-hole golf course, hockey arena, athletic fields, playscapes, a Farmers and Artisans Market and more. One of Michigan's most environmentally friendly cities, Westland has a progressive curbside recycling program with one of the highest participation rates in the nation and the City is raising the bar for cultural experiences with the placement of public art throughout the City.

The City is served by two public school districts; Wayne-Westland Community Schools serving 12,000 youth was recently named one of the Best School in Michigan by WXYZ-TV and is the proud recipient of 14 Golden Apple and two Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards. Livonia Public Schools, educating nearly 15,000 students, is proud of their MEAP/MME scores that exceed state averages and the District has also earned Golden Apple and Michigan Blue Ribbon Exemplary School Awards.

Westland's philosophy is that government should embrace good business principles. Providing oversight over the City's operating budget of $60 million dollars, Westland is the only community in Wayne County with a 3-year balanced budget and an approximately 10 percent budget surplus.

The City provides competitive incentives for those who are interested in investing in Westland, making it one of the hottest investment markets in the region. Our Fast-Track to Business Team, which consists of key decision makers who work diligently on a development plan will "cut the red tape" and expedite the approval process for new business development.