Wayne County police, prosecutors, attorneys get boost in wages
Wayne County Executive Warren Evans and union leaders on Tuesday announced the ratification of a number of collaborative bargaining agreements that will boost wages and benefits for police officers and prosecutors.
Officials said the developments represent a boost for public safety as well as fair compensation.
“Through these agreements, our unified vision is clear: to safeguard our 43 communities by retaining and attracting the brightest talent,” Evans said in a Tuesday news release.
The Prosecutor’s Office said the agreements could help lure more attorneys and address case backlogs, and police officials said the boosts in pay and benefits could help with officer recruitment.
“The improvement in wages and benefits was not only the right thing to do, but truly a step in the right direction for our department and the County of Wayne,” said Wayne County Sheriff Raphael Washington.
Under the agreement with the Police Officers Association of Michigan, still pending approval by the Wayne County Commission, benefits for deputies, detectives and corporals would include 24% wage increases over the next four years. Upon approval by the commission, these officers would see an immediate 13% increase in their salaries.
The agreement with the POAM also includes retention bonuses ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, depending on years of service, and an incentive of up to $5,000 for new hires. Additionally, POAM officers would see a reduction in health care contributions from 25% to 20%, and paid employer-paid parking for all employees.
A collective bargaining agreement with AFSCME Local 3317, which includes police sergeants, lieutenants and captains, was approved by the Wayne County Commission in May. An agreement with the Government Bar Association, which includes prosecutors and other attorneys, was approved by the commission in August.
Those two agreements include the same retention and incentive bonuses, reductions in health care contributions and paid parking. A boost in wages is largely the same as well ― AFSCME Local 3317 members will receive a 23.5% increase in salaries over the next four years with a 7.5% immediate increase once the agreement was approved in May. Members are set to receive another 5% increase in October.
Wages for entry-level attorneys saw a 24% increase under their new contract, boosting starting salaries from $60,500 to $75,000.
“This new contract for Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys (APAs) is indeed historic and transformative,” said Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy. “It makes Wayne County APAs among the highest paid in the State at every level, as we do over 65% of all the criminal prosecutions in the State.”
She said the changes will make the Prosecutor’s Office more competitive and better able to recruit and retain at a higher level.
“It will help us bring down our huge backlogs and has already attracted interest in lawyers,” Worthy said.
Cpl. Allen A. Cox IV, president of the Wayne County Deputy Sheriffs Association, also celebrated the potential boost in public safety resources.
“There’s still much to be done in the future, but the actions that occurred were paramount to our agency’s survival,” Cox said in the news release.
“The results of these negotiations reflect the hope of a Deputy Sheriff resurgence in Wayne County with a dedication and commitment to ensuring the viability and sustainability of the current Deputies here and all the future Deputies that may come.”
Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442,asahouri@freepress.com or on Twitter @andreamsahouri.
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