No raises or layoffs for Rolling Meadows police, fire in 2012

After several months of negotiations, Rolling Meadows reached an agreement with the city’s police and fire associations for a one-year contract extension that doesn’t include layoffs or raises for union employees.

Although union members will get already-agreed upon 4 percent raises before the end of this year, the contract includes a salary freeze for 2012, except for step increases employees get under the union contract for years of service.

Eliminating raises for 2012 will save the city more than $100,000, said City Manager Barry Krumstock.

On the other side, the city agreed not to lay off any bargaining unit member during 2012 and to replace any member who retires. The city also agreed to no layoffs with the firefighters union, Professional Firefighters Local 3075.

The contract extensions were approved with a 4-3 vote by the city council on Tuesday. Aldermen Mike Cannon, Larry Buske and Brad Judd voted against the deal.

Cannon said he wasn’t happy about the holiday pay for union members and the fact that union employees will still get raises at the end of 2011.

“We’ve gone to the taxpayers a number of times and the rest of the city employees have not taken raises, but the union guys get 4 percent,” he said. “Some would consider that pretty generous.”

Rolling Meadows is in the middle of budget discussions for 2012 and Cannon said that right now it is looking like the city will need to increase taxes.

“We want good firemen and policemen, but it still seems like an awfully lot of money for those days,” Cannon said about the higher pay officers get for working a holiday. “Our city is really struggling financially and I’m looking for any way we can make things better.”

Krumstock said this is the third year the city has worked out a side agreement with the unions and that negotiations begin in April 2012 for a new multiyear contract.

The 2011 pay raise will come on Dec. 30 after it was deferred from earlier in the year, which Cannon said was helpful with budgeting.

Some nonunion employees are in the second year of salary freezes and some in the third year. Krumstock said the 2012 budget does not include raises for any city employees.