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Schaumburg approves new contract with police command union

Schaumburg trustees Tuesday approved a new three-year contract with the village's police command union, just two weeks after members of the separate clerical and support-staff union complained to the village board of working more than a year without a contract.

But Debbie Diamond, president of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 1919, conceded that negotiations with her relatively new bargaining unit were bound to take longer than those for the police lieutenants and sergeants.

She disagreed, however, that they've needed to take as long as they have.

Among the differences between the two unions is their number of members and their variety of positions. While the police department's six lieutenants and 16 sergeants share similar jobs, Local 1919's 150 members are both full- and part-time and in just about every department, said Diamond, Schaumburg's animal-control officer.

While most of the issues in the police command contracts have been boiled down to salary over the decades, Local 1919 is negotiating only its second contract and there are still other basic issues to address such as the use of sick time to take care of ill family members, Diamond said.

Village Manager Brian Townsend said the negotiating team for the police command union approached the village with a limited list of objectives and operated very collaboratively.

Sgt. Tom Greenaway, president of the police command union, said both parties met numerous times and were very open and respectful of each other.

"It was how negotiations should go," he added.

The union has existed at least as long as his 21 years with the department, Greenaway said.

Retroactive to May 1, the contract increases salaries by 2 percent, 2.25 percent and 2.5 percent at the start of each year. Sergeants will get a one-time 1 percent increase on Nov. 1 this year, while lieutenants will get a $325 specialist payment in 2019 and 2020.

Schaumburg support-staff union asks trustees for new contract

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