Wasilla council approves union contract

WASILLA — After a year without a contract, police officers and dispatchers will be able to advance up the pay scale.

The Wasilla city council voted 5-1 at the June 13 meeting to approve a contract more than a year in the making, according to the city clerk. Councilman Dave Wilson was opposed.

Several police department employees turned out to voice support for the agreement between city officials and Teamsters Local 959, which represents the line officers and dispatchers of the Wasilla police department.

Council members were unable to amend the contract without sending it back to bargaining unit members for ratification, said mayor Bert Cottle. Regularly scheduled step increases had been suspended for a year after the previous contract expired while union and city officials hammered out a new agreement.

Wilson opposed the contract because he said he felt the time off provisions, which allow union members to cash out up to 200 hours of unused accrued time off, were too generous.

The city council also tied 3-3 on a measure that would have paid council members for attending special city council meetings. The measure would have paid city council members $112.50 for each special meeting attended. City council members are currently paid $225 to attend a regular meeting. Mayor Bert Cottle declined to break the tie.

Contact reporter Brian O’Connor at 352-2270, brian.oconnor@frontiersman.com, or on Twitter @reporterbriano.