North Las Vegas, police OK contract

North Las Vegas has reached an agreement on a new five-year, $22.1 million contract with the North Las Vegas Police Officers Association.

The contract, approved unanimously on Wednesday by the City Council without comment, gives 448 city police and corrections officers, including supervisors, a four percent cost-of-living raise each year through 2011. The approval was part of the council's consent agenda on which multiple items, considered to be routine, are voted on in one motion.

The contract also specifies that additional "longevity" pay will be given to officers who have completed seven years of full-time employment. Such officers will receive an additional 3.5 percent of their base monthly wage and an additional half a percent increase each year thereafter up to a maximum of 15 percent.

All employees hired after July 1, 2008 will receive a up to a maximum of 12.5 percent.

Terrence McAllister, president of the North Las Vegas Police Officers Association, said the union had been negotiating the contract with the city since May. The previous contract expired June 30.

He described the negotiations as "not problematic at all."

"We reached a very fair agreement."

North Las Vegas City Manager Gregory Rose could not be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

The new contract adds one day, each officer's respective birthday, to the list of paid holidays to be received by officers. Officers will receive a total of 12 paid holidays each year.

It also increases the maximum leave time accrual by 40 hours for each officer, to 280 hours for those with fewer than 10 years of service, 360 hours for those with 10-20 years of service, and 440 hours for those with more than 20 years of service.