Mount Prospect approves new contracts for firefighters, police sergeants

Mount Prospect trustees Tuesday approved new multiyear contracts awarding small twice annual raises to its firefighters and police sergeants.

Under the agreements, firefighters and police sergeants will receive 1 percent pay hikes twice per year, but also pay a larger share of their health insurance premiums.

Mayor Arlene Juracek called the agreements “a productive and reasonable result that will help to manage our costs going forward.”

The three-year agreement with the International Association of Firefighters, Local 4119, covers 53 firefighters/paramedics and nine lieutenants. It will be effective from January of this year through Dec. 31, 2015 and award firefighters retroactive pay.

Assistant Village Manager David Strahl said the contract is similar to those of the patrol officers and public works unions. Under the terms of the agreement, reached after 10

months of negotiations, starting pay for firefighters/paramedics will increase from the current $58,695 to $63,029 in 2015, with the top pay increasing from $87,372 to $93,470 in 2015.

Lieutenants salaries will increase from the current $100,218 to $107,107 in 2015, while salaries for lieutenant/paramedics will increase from $103,947 to $111,065 in 2015.

The agreement with the Metropolitan Alliance of Police, Sergeants Chapter 85 is retroactive to May 1, 2012 and will expire December 31, 2016.

Under the terms of the agreement, reached after six months of negotiations, police sergeants will receive two 1-percent wage increases annually starting this year. Salaries will increase from today’s $103,630 to $112,457 in 2016.

Under both agreements, employees’ monthly insurance contributions will rise 10 percent a year, closely tracking the village’s annual cost increases, officials said.