Henrik Jonsson

The City Council will consider contracts giving police and municipal employees raises over the next three years at a special meeting starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday in council chambers.

Both police and municipal employee contracts expired on June 30. Police and the administration arrived at an agreement prior to expiration of their contract, and when it appeared municipal employees would likewise reach a settlement, City Council President Steve McAllister decided to devote a single meeting to the contracts.

That would have happened, however, the municipal employee membership vote was delayed and not until they had reached a tentative agreement could the council consider the matter.

“We’re very excited we can go forward with it,” Walter Hartley, president of Local 1651 of RI Council 94, said Tuesday. Other than salary increases, Hartley said, “there really weren’t major changes.” He said negotiations went smoothly and that Picozzi has acted to bring back workers furloughed by the late Mayor Joseph Solomon.

“He’s done that. He’s a man of his word,” Harley said of Picozzi.

In all three years of the agreement, municipal employees would receive 2.75 percent annual increases. Members of the Warwick Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7 would receive a 2.75 percent increase the first year with 3.75 percent increases in the second and third years.

According to the fiscal note prepared by city Finance Director Peder Schaefer, the first year of the contract would cost the city an additional $461,930. In Fiscal Year 2023 the additional cost is another $637,483, followed by another $663,952 in FY24.

Should the contracts gain council approval, Schaefer said the raises would be retroactive to this July 1.

Combined, the contracts will cost the city an additional $862,092 this year, which was considered in the budget. Schaefer said there are no adjustments in either contract to health care co-payments.

In the case of the police contract, Peder said the city agreed to suspend an employee pension contribution increase from 16.71 percent of pay to 17.65 percent of pay. In a letter to the mayor, Schaefer said he believes the difference will be made up by the robust investment earning for FY21.

Under the terms of the municipal agreement, employees would receive a 2.75 percent raise for each of the three years of the contract. The fiscal note puts the added cost to the city at $400,162 this year, $410,183 in FY23 and $420,480 in FY24.

McAllister said Tuesday he met with the mayor as well as representatives from both unions in preparation for the upcoming meeting.

The council does not play a role in negotiations, so as McAllister put it, when an agreement reaches the council it is “fully baked.” He said the purpose of the meetings is to get from the mayor and unions what they feel are important issues.

In the case of municipal employees, McAllister said they questioned how an OPEB fund would be created for new employees to help for post-employment benefits other than pensions.

“It’s pretty straight forward, not a lot of changes,” he said of the contract.

As for the police contract, McAllister said, “recruiting is a big thing. We need to be able to recruit good people.”

He also noted “it’s a balance. We’ve got to be able to afford it.”

FOP President Jed Pineau could not be reached for comment.

The meeting will open with the police contract, McAllister said.