City of Worcester, MA

City & I.B.P.O. Local 504 Research 4-Year Deal to Save Jobs

For Immediate Release: 5/9/2011 9:04 am

Worcester, MA (May 6, 2011) - The City of Worcester and I.B.P.O. Local 504, Worcester's Police Officials, have reached a memorandum of agreement on a four-year term spanning FY2010, FY2011, FY2012 and FY2013. The agreement reflects both parties clear recognition of the current economic challenges and the collective desire to preserve jobs and services through a settlement with fair and balanced wage and employee health benefit changes.

The highlights of the memorandum of agreement are as follows:

• Zero-percent base wage increases for FY2010, FY2011 and FY2102.
• Two-percent base wage increase for FY2013, effective July 1, 2012.
• GIC-like health care plans effective July 1, 2011, as well as the health care contribution rate change to 75/25.
• Flat stipends already within existing contract, and budgeted, rolled into the base effective 7/1/11.
• Sick and vacation buyback programs consistent with existing executive management programs.

I.B.P.O. 504 President Donald Cummings stated, "On behalf of Worcester’s Police Officials, I would like to thank City Manager Michael O’Brien and his bargaining team for their professionalism and their willingness to reach a fair and equitable agreement that is beneficial to our members and to the community that we proudly serve. Hopefully the agreement that we reached through collective bargaining can be used as a framework for other municipal unions to reach fair and equitable agreements for their members and for the City of Worcester."

"I am very grateful to the leadership of I.B.P.O. Local 504 for their responsible actions and efforts," said City Manager Michael O'Brien. "Our ability to reach this agreement that contains such significant reforms is one more affirmation that through good-faith negotiations and a shared, common purpose, we can find the ways to assist our City through these tough economic times. Our work together preserves jobs and vital services while concurrently recognizing their professionalism, dedication and hard work."

The memorandum of agreement will be presented to the membership for a ratification vote on May 13, 2011.