Normal Town Council ratifies union contract with police

Posted on August 18, 2020
The staff’s report said the relationship between the police union and the town has “matured” over time. (Photo courtesy: WJBC/File)

By Heart of Illinois ABC

NORMAL – Normal Police officers and sergeants will receive twice-a-year pay raises for the next four years after the town council Monday night unanimously approved a union contract.

Council members emphasized the agreement reached with Police Benevolent and Protective Association Local 22 has no connection to the politically charged “defund police” debate.

Officers and sergeants will receive 1.25% raises each April and October through 2023. The extra cost this year of the new contract is $234,707, according to town staffers.

The base salary for officers when the contract expires will be $85,404.

The deal was reached after just three hours of negotiations, a far cry from contracts over decades that sometimes required mediators or arbitrators to hammer out settlements.

The staff’s report said the relationship between the police union and the town has “matured” over time.

Council member Kevin McCarthy described the raise as “modest,” while council member Stan Nord said officers have the “toughest job in the country right now.”

Heart of Illinois ABC can be reached at [email protected]. 

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