The La Grange Park Board of Trustees April 9 unanimously approved a three-year contract for all Village patrol officers.
The old collective bargaining agreement expires on April 30 of this year and the new contract runs until the same date in 2027, calling for yearly raises of 4 % the first year, 3.5 % the second year, and 3 % the final year.
“I’m totally in support of this,” Trustee Karen Koncel told her colleagues in introducing the motion. “I’m very impressed that we have this worked out with our staff as quickly as we did, and I think that the police definitely deserve the amount of respect that we’re giving them.”
The contract covers 14 La Grange Park Patrol officers; those with the rank of Patrol Sergeant or above are not part of the agreement.
The Illinois Fraternal Order of Police Labor Council ratified the new contract on March 29, and aside from some minor changes, the terms of the deal remain the same as the previous one.
New features of the contract include a year-end cash payout of compensatory time capped at 40 hours per year instead of overtime, a Village contribution towards dental premiums beginning in 2025, and an additional 2 % beginning the first day of the new contract for officers in the top tier of service — year seven — or 6 % total.
The reason for the one-year addition of the 2 % to top-tier officers is to bring it into line with the differences between all the step levels to 5 %. Previously, the step between tiers 6 and 7 was only 3 %; the addition will change it to 5 %.
Health care benefits for the entire contract call for an 18 % employee contribution. Employees’ Dental premiums are covered solely by the employee, but beginning July 1, 2025, they will only pay 18 % through the end of the contract.
Pension benefits will be provided according to the terms of the Downstate Police Pension Plan, with retirement occurring no later than the officer’s 62nd birthday.
Salaries for new officers will now be $78,000, with a step increase to $80,730 the second year, and $83,152 the third year. Similar step increases occur throughout the contract for officers.
For example, an officer within their third year will earn $90,480 beginning May 1 and $96,456 the third year. An officer in the top tier, with seven year’s experience, will earn $110,346 the first year, and $117,634 the last.
The next La Grange Park Village Board meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 23, in the Village Hall Board Room, 447 N. Catherine Avenue.
Hank Beckman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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