New City police and fire union agreements

anacortes city hall

The city has reached new three-year tentative agreements with unions representing the Police and Fire departments with wage hikes of 6 percent for firefighters and 7.5 percent for non-commissioned police officers.

The new contracts replace agreements that expired on Dec. 31.

The contracts cover six Police Department employees and 20 firefighters. The city does not yet have a contract covering commissioned Police officers, Emily Schuh, city Administrative Services Director told Anacortes Now.

New agreements include a major change in health insurance which will result in one-time base wage increases to make up for health insurance deductibles starting in 2016 where none had existed before now.

For firefighters, the one-time increase will amount to $1,300 annual base wage increase or $108.33 per month. For non-commissioned police officers, the one-time increase amounts to $750 annual base wage increase, or $62.50 per month.

In separate memos to the City Council, Schuh said the Non-Commissioned Anacortes Police Guild members ratified their agreement on January 20 and that the International Association of Fire Fighter Local 1537 members ratified their agreement on January 26.

Schuh estimated, in her memos to City Council, that the new agreements will cost the city an additional $360,000 over the three-year term.

Schuh said the city reached the agreements without the use of a mediator. The agreements are on the City Council’s agenda for their meeting next Monday night.