Waterloo Regional Police expect to have labour peace for much of the rest of the decade.
A new five-year collective agreement between the police service and the Waterloo Regional Police Association has been ratified by both sides.
It replaces the previous agreement, which expired at the end of 2014.
“Although the negotiations were challenging at times, I am pleased that this contract allows all members of the Association to know their hard work is valued,” union president Paul Perchaluk said in a news release.
Under the terms of the new deal, a police officer who stays with the organization until 2019 will find themselves receiving more than 11 per cent more pay than they did in 2014.
The biggest pay increases cover 2015 (2.75 per cent) and 2016 (2.2 per cent), with raises for the under three years coming in below two per cent.
“We believe this agreement is in keeping with the range of previously negotiated settlements across the province in terms of cost of living increases,” police board chair Tom Galloway said in the release.
Another change under the new agreement involves promotions within job classes.
For newly hired officers, it will take 14 months instead of 12 to be promoted through the constable ranks – meaning it will take four years, instead of 3.5, for a newly hired constable to become a first-class constable.
The police board and union will also look for an alternative to the organization’s current sick leave program.
The contract applies to uniformed officers and civilians working for Waterloo Regional Police.
