New terms include a 1.25 percent increase in wages each year and a raise in uniform expenses, Brugger said.
Sergeants and patrol officers will now be reimbursed up to $900 for uniforms, Brugger said, an increase of $50.
Also in the contracts, employees who do not use sick leave within a year will get an additional personal day, he said.
Patrol officers who join the Urbana Police Division in the next three years are eligible for education incentives, he said. Before, the incentives only applied to officers who were employed at the time of the approval of the contract.
“This was the first year I’m aware of where patrol officers and sergeants negotiated together,” Brugger said.
This makes the contracts more similar, he said, and eliminates confusion.
The agreements also state that in grievance procedures, only seven arbitrators will be needed, he said. The previous contracts required 15.
Negotiations began in November, and a tentative agreement was reached in December, he said. Both unions ratified the agreements last month.
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