Huntley approves new contracts with 3.75% annual raises for police and public works employees

Huntley police officers will have pay increases of 3.75% annually from 2025 to 2027 under a newly approved contract with the village’s police union. Public works employees also will have regular pay increases of 3.75% under a separate contract with the public works union approved last month.

The Huntley Village Board voted to approve the new collective bargaining agreements with the police union, the Metropolitan Alliance of Police Chapter 207, and the public works union, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, in its Aug. 24 meeting.

There are 16 employees in the public works division’s bargaining unit, according to village records. Sgt. Tim Heagney said the police department has 39 sworn officers.

The old police union agreement, which was approved in 2020, was set to expire Dec. 31, 2024, and the new one is set to expire Dec. 31, 2027. Several differences exist between the two agreements.

New employees at the police department have a probationary period of 18 months, but the new agreement allows for the probationary period to be 12 months for lateral transfer employees, according to village documents.

While normal work period rules relating to overtime remain unchanged, the shift schedule submission day was moved to Nov. 1 in the new agreement. It was Oct. 1 under the old agreement.

Compensatory time rules are different between the two agreements, with the new one stating non-Huntley sponsored details, among other things, will not count toward compensatory time. The old agreement states an employee can’t have more than 80 hours of compensatory time in a year, while the new one states employees can’t have more than 80 hours of compensatory time “in their bank,” according to Huntley documents. Under the new agreement, compensatory time can be used in one-hour increments.

Special assignment pay for assignments including firearms trainers and accident investigators, among other positions, will have a maximum of $600 per year, down from $900 in the old agreement.

Detective stipends also are reduced from $3,000 to $2,500 in the new agreement.

Employees can now use sick leave in one-hour increments, down from two in the old agreement.

A section in the old agreement that employees would receive an extra $250 in pay if they have an associate’s degree and $500 if they have a bachelor’s degree was omitted in the new agreement. The physical fitness program offers a make-up date in August under the new agreement.

“Core” classes an employee needs for a degree but aren’t relevant to the job are now eligible for reimbursement. Previously, the reimbursement was 50% tuition. The new agreement is silent on whether a “pass” grade in a pass/fail course would be eligible for reimbursement, with the old agreement saying a pass grade would be eligible.

The new agreement calls out tuition reimbursement above $5,250 per year as taxable income, and 70% of tuition is reimbursed for a “C” grade, 85% for a “B” grade and all for an “A” grade in the course.

Employees going to training outside of Huntley in their personal vehicle are now only paid for travel time greater than their “home to work commute,” but actual travel time is paid when the trip starts at the police station.

Under the new agreement, officers’ salaries will range from $73,275 to $113,483 in 2024 and $81,831 to $126,735 in 2027.

The public works union collective bargaining agreement has some changes as well.

The old public works agreement was set to expire Dec. 31, 2025, and the new one will expire Dec. 31, 2027.

Snowplow shifts will remain at 12.5 hours in the new agreement.

Sick leave now counts for overtime, and employees are limited to using 80 hours of compensatory time off during a fiscal year.

The new agreement features a section about longevity bonuses. Employees will receive a $1,000 bonus each year starting with their 10th anniversary, and the bonus becomes $1,500 after their 20th anniversary. The word “longevity” does not appear in the old agreement.

Wages are up in the new agreement as well. Maintenance worker salaries start at $54,879.08 in 2024; general utility workers start at $59,549.64; general utility worker ii starts at $64,220.20; mechanics start at $69,609.31; crew leaders start at $72,977.50 in 2024. The pay increases 3.75% each year in the new agreement.

The previous agreement had a pay raise of 2.50% from 2022 to 2023 and 2023 to 2024 and 2.75% from 2024 to 2025.