Revised Police FOP Contracts Approved

Members of the Fraternal Order of Police Unions at the Kent Police Department have a slightly altered contract for the next two years.

Union negotiations reopened this year on the three-year contracts — initially approved in November 2011 — for the Fraternal Order of Police unions representing police officers, dispatchers and civilian employees.

The reopening addressed employee healthcare contributions for the second and third years of the contracts.

Kent Safety Director William Lillich said the contract changes, approved by Kent City Council Nov. 28 after an executive session, will bring the FOP members in line with the rest of the city employees' healthcare contributions in the third year of the contract.

For the first year for all city employees the healthcare contribution rate was $40 for single and $80 for family coverage per month. And in the second year it rises to $60 for single and $100 for family coverage. But for FOP members, in the second year of the contract contributions will stay at the first-year rate of $40 for single and $80 for family coverage, Lillich said. 

“In the third year it goes to $120 for single and $80 for family coverage for everybody," he said.

Lillich said the FOP unions agreed to the increases in the contract proposed by negotiators for the city, with a reopening clause, before the rest of the city's unions settled on the increased contribution rates.

"The FOP was the first to step up and say 'OK we understand the concerns, we’ll go along with the reopener approach,'" he said. "That made the bargaining team give them some consideration for that regard."