Field Services - Around the State

New Port Arthur Contract Demonstrates CLEAT's Negotiating Skills

In April of 2008, CLEAT’s Field Services Director, Rick Self, met with the Port Arthur Police Association’s collective bargaining team. Their three year collective bargaining agreement would be ending in September 2008 and we first met with the City of Port Arthur on April 10th. There were a number of issues on the table. The City had said from day one that there would be no agreement that contained a Maintenance of Standards clause. What added to the problems at the negotiation table was the continuous down turns in the economy.

Negotiations at times became somewhat adversarial. At one point, the Association’s team took a tentative agreement to the membership that was rejected. A mediator met with both sides in an attempt to get an agreement and a revised tentative agreement was presented to city council for approval. After a motion and a second, the motion was tabled.

Both sides met again on December 11th and came to agreement on a three year contract that will expire on September 30, 2011. The Port Arthur Police Association voted 98-2 in favor of the agreement and on December 16th the City Council unanimously approved it.

The new agreement provides for a base pay increase of 4.5% retroactive to October 1, 2008 and , 5% and 5.5% increase on October 1 of each year of the next two years as well as some increased supervisory pay and pay step increase for patrol officers up to the 10years. The new agreement also provides for increased in FTO pay and per diem rate. There was also some clean up language pertaining to service dates, psychological services and the drug and alcohol policy.

Scott Gaspard, the President of the Port Arthur Police Association said “it took eight months and three hurricanes to get here but the time spent was worth it. Two major points for us is that we now have an inclement weather article and the maintenance of standards clause stays in the agreement. CLEAT was with us from the beginning and we couldn’t have done it without them. We feel like it is a very fair deal for both sides and we are glad it’s behind us.”


Created: 12/22/2008 10:53:28 PM