Denver police officers will get no raise in 2013 and a 1 percent increase in 2014 after a ruling by an independent arbitrator who was called in to negotiate a contract impasse.
Police were asking for a three-year contract with no raise in 2013 and 3 percent raises in 2014 and 2015.
The arbitrator’s binding ruling sided with the city, giving police a two-year contract that the city says will save a total of $6.1 million.
Harry MacLean, the independent arbitrator, said the union’s request was too costly, considering Denver’s budget gap of $94 million and the possibility of a continuing recession.
MacLean also said Denver’s police officers are some of the best-compensated locally and around the nation.
“From 2008 to 2012, Denver Police officers received base pay increases of 20.1 percent, or an average of 4 percent a year, as opposed to the average wage increase in the other (local) cities of 1.55 percent,” the report said.
Locally, Denver is ranked No. 1 in compensation for officers with five, 15 and 30 years of service when compared with eight other local jurisdictions, according to the city.
The city’s firefighters also negotiated a contract that gives no raises in 2013 and 1 percent raises in 2014 and 2015.
In addition, the arbitrator said, nonuniformed city employees “have been bearing more than their fair share. Essentially, they have had almost no pay raise for the past four years, while police officers have had annual average increase of 4 percent during that period.”
The arbitrator also agreed with the city to eliminate birthdays as a premium-pay holiday for officers, which will save more than $1.1 million over 2013 and 2014.
