HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — The Huntington city council authorized pay improvements for various employee groups in the city. Each of those covered under a bargaining unit was granted an hourly pay improvement in their contract. Even those not in a bargaining unit were extended a raise in resolutions approved by the city council on Monday night.
“Employees not covered under a bargaining unit agreement, administrative and professional, each will receive the same thing AFSCME did, which is a 1.50 the first year, then one dollar in the next two years and no raise in the fourth year. Also each employee will make a minimum of 15 dollars an hour, including part time workers,” said Huntington City Manager Hank Dial.
Dial detailed each of the new employment agreements to city council members. He was most enthusiastic about the new agreement with the Fraternal Order of Police. The measure gives city police officers a two-dollar an hour pay boost for the first year of an officer’s contract and a dollar an hour for each of the next three years.
“Part of our objective with this negotiation with both sides was to create an overall employment package that is the most attractive in the state of West Virginia for the hiring and retention of officers. We’re proud to say we believe we have done that with this contract,” he explained.
Like many police departments, Huntington has struggled with recruitment and retention of officers who are the future of the force. According to Dial neither side wanted to make any changes to the current agreement other than increasing pay.
“We felt the contract was in good shape and neither side had a desire to make substantial changes to the way the officers work on a day to day basis. We’re proud of the way the contract applies and neither side asked for any non-economic changes,” he said.
The FOP unanimously ratified the agreement and city council accepted the agreement unanimously as well.