PRESS RELEASE March 4, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Neale F. Lunderville, Secretary of Administration
(802) 828-3322
Mike O’Neil, President, Vermont Troopers’ Association
(802) 356-3992
ADMINISTRATION AND VERMONT TROOPERS’ ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCE LABOR CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Montpelier, Vt. – Secretary of Administration Neale F. Lunderville and Vermont Troopers’ Association (VTA) President Michael O’Neil today announced that the Administration and VTA have reached agreement on a new one year labor contract, subject to ratification by the VTA membership.
The agreement will produce over $970,000 in total savings in FY11, $162,540 attributable to General Fund savings and $719,679 in Transportation Fund savings. In entering into the agreement, the State will achieve the same level of savings in FY11 as it would have achieved if the VTA took a 3% pay cut and step freeze, as other bargaining units agreed to do recently.
The cost saving achieved from the agreement is good news for the taxpayers of Vermont. “I appreciate that the troopers are doing their part to address budget concerns during these challenging times,” said
Governor Jim Douglas. “As families are struggling to pay the bills, state employees have stepped up and Vermonters are grateful.”
“The Vermont economy is not out of the woods yet,” said Secretary Lunderville. “This agreement will help lawmakers address a more than $150 million budget shortfall for fiscal 2011 – a gap that might get worse before it gets better.”
The contract includes a step freeze for all VTA members, and calls for members to forego 40 hours of compensation for supplemental duty pay and monetary bonuses for meeting physical fitness standards while retaining the rigorous standards. The contract also calls for the elimination of holiday premium pay provisions for Town Meeting Day, Bennington Battle Day and Washington’s Birthday, and reduces holiday pay for other holidays during the one year contract term.
VTA President Michael O’Neil stated that it was important to his members that the State committed during the one year agreement to work with the VTA in looking at serious concerns facing the State
Police, including the comparability of their wages and wage structure. “We are pleased that the State has committed to work with the VTA over the next year to conduct a comprehensive review of police wages and wage structures, scheduling and other important issues to VTA members,” O’Neil said. “Such a review will help ensure that Vermont remains competitive in attracting and retaining top individuals for our State Police force.”
“Given that the VTA is a newly elected bargaining unit representative, the parties agreed that it would be beneficial to use the committee process to study in greater detail important issues and comprehensive changes for possible inclusion in successor agreements,” added Lunderville. “Work schedules and pay structures are key issues, as well as looking at pay-for-performance and other innovative ideas.”
