Final police union contract gains approval

The Metropolitan Police Committee on Fiscal Affairs approved the agency's final pending union contract Monday.

The contract for the Police Managers and Supervisors Association will save the agency $819,923 in the next fiscal year, which starts Thursday.

Concessions included reducing the clothing allowance for each employee and cutting what the agency pays toward employee health care coverage. The union represents about 480 sergeants, lieutenants and captains. About two-thirds of union voters backed the deal.

The department also saved $839,417 by changing some pay and benefits for its 147 appointed employees, which include top police commanders and civilians.

The Police Department's largest two unions, the Las Vegas Police Protective Association and the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, Civilian Employees, had previously approved contracts that saved the agency $5.2 million and $8.6 million, respectively.

The total savings in salaries and benefits for all employees totaled $15.5 million, about $771,000 more than the $14.7 million planned for in the $512.6 million budget approved by the Fiscal Affairs Committee in April.

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak, who sits on the committee, commended Sheriff Doug Gillespie and the unions for their agreements while noting the troubled economy that probably will be worse when they have to negotiate new contracts for the next budget.

"This will buy us a year," Sisolak said.

Las Vegas City Councilman Gary Reese echoed the thought.

"We are going to have to get down and dirty a year from now," he said.