Police civilian employees union agrees to new contract

The Metropolitan Police Department's civilian employees union has agreed to a new contract that will save the agency more than $8 million next fiscal year.

The contract ratified May 5 calls for no pay raises and no increases in health coverage for the agency's 1,700 dispatchers, support staff and other civilian employees.

"Whatever they make now is what they're going to make next year," said Terri Yada, president of the Las Vegas Police Protective Association, Civilian Employees.

The contract, approved by a 389-to-168 vote, will save the department $8.3 million in the 2010-11 fiscal year and mean no layoffs, she said.

"It was a pretty tough pill, but we were able to keep everyone working," Yada said.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie did eliminate about 140 vacant civilian positions and 69 vacant police officer positions from the next budget as part of about $37 million in cuts.

Those cuts also depended on concessions from the agency's three employee unions.

The Police Managers and Supervisors Association is still in negotiations, but the Las Vegas Police Protective Association has a tentative contract on the table that will be voted on next week.

That contract, which covers the 2,900 rank-and-file police officers, would save about $5 million, said Chris Collins, the union's executive director.

The contract calls for no cost-of-living raises and cuts to the clothing allowance and health care contribution, he said.

Both contracts run for 12 months.

Yada said she hopes the situation will improve by then.

"We might have one more scary year," she said. "Hopefully not too horrible."

Contact reporter Brian Haynes at
bhaynes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0281.