City, police union each ratify three-year collective bargaining agreement

A new collective bargaining agreement between the City of Sarasota and the union that represents the Sarasota Police Department has been ratified by both sides in the negotiation, but they will be back at at the table next year for ongoing talks about salaries for sworn personnel and criminalists.

The City Commission approved a three-year CBA with International Union of Police Associations Local 6045 during its Nov. 21 meeting, which Stacie Mason, the city’s human resources director, said includes an across-the-board average 14-16% pay increase for criminalists, officers, sergeants and lieutenants. 

“We did comparables throughout our region,” Mason told commissioners. “Our scales did need to increase. We made them very competitive with the local area.”

Union chapter president Eric Urbain agreed with Mason’s assessment, but to ensure wages remain competitive, the salary scale will be revisited annually.

“We're actually slightly ahead as far as pay with the Sheriff's Office,” Urbain told Sarasota Observer. “The only thing that's concerning is they are not unionized so they can adjust their salary at any point. We want to make sure that we stay competitive with them. That's one of the reasons why the contract in its entirety is a three year-contract, however, the pay is only a one-year agreement. 

“We’ll be back at the table next year and the following year to see where we're at. That was by design in order to make sure that we're staying competitive with these neighboring agencies.”

The sometimes contentious negotiations had been ongoing since February, with competitive wages and retention at the top of the union's priority list. In addition the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the city competes for law enforcement talent with agencies in Tampa and St. Petersburg.

Per the new CBA, newly hired officers begin at Step 1 at $65,875, up from $55,826; newly promoted sergeants $88,960, up from $78,033; and lieutenants $107,000, previously $91,052. Newly hired non-sworn criminalists begin at $51,600, up from $36,648.

Patrol officers will move through steps based on anniversary date. All newly hired employees will receive the annual wage rate in effect at their time of hire commensurate with their qualifications.

Newly ranked sergeants and lieutenants will be slotted into the wage schedule on Step 1, unless that step is less than a 10% increase. If less than a 10% increase, they move to the next highest step, then through subsequent steps based on anniversary date

Urbain said he hopes the new deal will help SPD better attract new officers and retain them as they move up through the steps in salary and in the ranks.

“There's a big investment for each officer that we hire in terms of training,” he said. “We have to keep them as long as we can.”