Cops, Lisle reach contract agreement

Lisle and its police union have reached an agreement on a four-year contract that's retroactive to May 2015 and will continue through the end of April 2019, officials said Wednesday.

The new pact provides officers with 2.5 percent annual pay raises that are retroactive to the start of the contract and continue through its expiration.

Village Manager Eric Ertmoed said most of the department's 30 officers are at the top of the pay scale, which will climb to $100,107 by the end of the contract.

The agreement ends a two-year stalemate in contract talks and avoids possible arbitration with the union, village officials said. Police have been working without a contract since May 1, 2015.

"It is unacceptable that our police officers have been working for more than two years without a contract." Mayor Chris Pecak said in a news release. "I am proud that in just a few short months, we were able to extend the police contract while not spending precious tax dollars on costly arbitration. Working together, we were able to reach an agreement that puts our officers first and allows our community to continue to be a safe place to live and raise our families."

The agreement was unanimously ratified on July 17 by the Lisle officers represented by the Metropolitan Alliance of Police Chapter #87 and approved Monday by the village board.

Officials said the pact also calls for a wage freeze for future probationary hires; provides a yearly $1,600 non-pensionable on-call stipend for detectives; and adds the ability to choose arbitrators from Iowa, Michigan or Wisconsin.

"This agreement provides the village the tools to attract and retain high-quality police officers who are dedicated to protecting our community," police Chief Dave Anderson said in a statement.