Bloomington council to vote on two-year union deal with police dispatchers

Posted on July 13, 2020
In return, the union agrees to help the city hold the line on “pension spiking.” (Photo courtesy: Heart of Illinois ABC)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

BLOOMINGTON – A tentative agreement between the City of Bloomington and the union representing police dispatchers would boost their pay by 2.5% in each of the next two years.

However, they will not get so-called “pension spikes,” according the contract awaiting Bloomington City Council approval Monday night.

The cost to city taxpayers for the pay raises is $53,000, according to the staff’s report to the city council.

The deal also allows the telecommunicators to take three weeks of paid vacation after five years on the job, instead of previous deal in which they had to work eight years. They would get four weeks off with pay after working 11 years instead of 15.

In return, the union agrees to help the city hold the line on “pension spiking.”

Like recent collective bargaining agreements for other Bloomington city workers, dispatchers leaving their jobs won’t be eligible for accelerated payments through the sick leave buy back program.

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

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