COD ratifies labor agreement

The College of DuPage Board of Trustees ratified the Unit No. 741, Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council Contract at a Feb. 21 meeting. The agreement, which was unanimously ratified by FOP members earlier this week, is effective Feb. 26, 2012, through June 30, 2015.

The College Board has also ratified agreements through June 30, 2015 for the COD Adjunct Association and Operating Engineers. Negotiations are still ongoing with full-time faculty.

“To have three sets of negotiations completed is excellent and allows everyone to get back to the task at hand, educating our students,” said COD President Robert L. Breuder. “It has always been my management philosophy that no one group at an organization is more important than another. We are all in this together and should be treated as such.”

The previous FOP contract expired June 30, 2011. The wages and working conditions in that contract have been extended through the effective date of this new contract. The agreement includes compensation rate increases of 2.85 percent (effective Feb. 25, 2012 – June 30, 2012), as well as annual increases of 3.15 percent, 3.55 percent and 4.15 percent, respectively, through June 30, 2015.

“The same pay increases have also been accepted by CODAA and the Operating Engineers,” Dr. Breuder said. “We are tightening up some benefits to free up resources for these pay increases. Administrators and benefited employees covered under these new contracts will contribute 20 percent of the health insurance premiums and one-third of tuition costs for themselves and their dependents. We have incredible employees here at College of DuPage and we must ensure they are all treated fairly.”