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2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, February 24, 2004 Cati usiog ngtaoniaUone wif yu iun neoitosla onwpoli story idea$ By HOWARD)MOZEL thviet h Nîîh i nd h',î t 4î1,0 '~p 5 878-2341, The Ilaiton Regionat Police Association Halîoîî police otticcrs had beeii without a 20X02. ext. 234. (HRPA) and Hatton Regional Police contract since December 2002 and negoti- "They were difficuit and time-consum- Services Board have ratified their new ations -- which HRPA President Dave ing and broke down two different times but I GA LLINIGERI a . FORD si Leather Power Drivers Seat qumo Rear Spoiler Bucket Seats Mach 1000 Audio System Handling package Brand New 2003 Mustang GT eàW Convertible B rand New 2003 Handhing Leather Wrapped Mutn V6 Sport Automatic ice contract patily:" said M. Atkiii'oi. 's've e happy wjth the resuit." T'he new contracts (whicb will expire December 31, 20105) feature a 4 per cent increase fully retroactive 10 January 1, 2003 and 3.75 per cent fully retroactive to January 1 of this year. A furtber 3.75 per cent increase will take effeet January 1, 2005. "The whole deal puIs us in line witb everyone else," said HRPA administrator Paul LaCourse, referring 10 other Ontario services. As a resuit, at the end of the contract the base wage of a It Class Constable in Hallon will be $69,282. As it appears aI tbe moment, explained Mr. LaCourse, this would make these officers the highet paid (by a rougb average of a mere $30) in Ontario. Trutb be tld, bowever, tbat position is only temporary smnce a number of police services - including Toronto, Hamilton, London, Durham, Waterloo and Peel bave yet 10 negotiate their 2005 pay increases. At that point, said Mr. LaCourse, Halton will no longer be at the top. Tbe announcement that deals were struck January 20 was originally made two days later aI a police services board meet- ing by outgoing board member and negoti- ating teamn leader Jack Brewer. Details were then outlined 10 tbe memn- berships during tbree sessions held February 11. Budget approval decisive Voting took place February 12, 13 and 16. Ninety-teven per cent of uniform per- sonnel voted in favour of tbeir contract, as did 88 per cent of the civilian memnbership. Mr. LaCourse cbaracterized the settlements as ones Ibat will benefit the interesîs of botb police and Halton residents. "Ils a fair deal for taxpayers and the membersbips," he said, "People are still paying more for cable and Iternet than whaî the chief is asking for in bis budget." The previous collective agreements, approved in February 2000, represented a total 10.4 per cent increase in waget and benefits over tbe life of tbe contracts. Mr. Brewer also led the board's negotiating term on that occasion. At the end of the former contract, the top salary for a first clats constable was $61,888. One important component of the new deal is an improvemrent 10, wbat's calîrd "ýretention pay," or money paid 10 officers based on their length of service (starting at eight years) as botb an mecentive for a job well done and 10 belp keep tbemn from join- ing services in other jurisdictions. "We look aI tbe reention pay as an investmenî 10 keep people bere longer," said Mr. LaCourse. Since 2001, 30 officers bave retied, 38 bave gone 10 other services and 16 left for other reasons -the total of which repre- sents 17 10 23 per cent of the entire comi- plement. One reason officers leave, Mr. LaCourse explained, is 10 work in areas witb a cost of living lower than Halton's. "The cost of living it huge here corn- paîrd to many other jurisdictions," be added. "Retention pay is a good investmnent 10 attract and retain quality people." At present, taid Wr LaCourse, a "large number" of Halton police officers have five years or lest of service and somne fmancial mechanitm must be in place to, belp make themn stay. "Retention pay is a step in the night direc- tion for paying police officers as the pro- feasionala they are," said Mr. LaCourse, "Safe communlîjea don't juat happen by accident and police officera play a large role in that."