First-ever MAP contract for GPPPSOA
Grosse Pointe Park agreement closes big wage gap

For years, Grosse Pointe Park's public safety officers worked under a significantly lower pay scale than their counterparts in comparable neighboring cities. Then, last summer, they turned to the Michigan Association of Police for help.

"The first thing I did when I became POA president in June of 2001 was to make sure we associated ourselves with the Michigan Association of Police. I was confident MAP's people would do a great job for us and they have."

Now, the 30-member GPPPSOA "has made great strides in catching up economically" to officers in the other Grosse Pointe communities, according to Scott Taylor, the organization's former president.

The local association's first MAP-negotiated contract, a four-year pact retroactive to last July 1, will raise veteran officers' base pay to $55,865 in its final year. This is a cumulative increase of a fraction less than 16 percent. The hike has an immediate positive impact and also sets the stage for future gains, Taylor said.

"We had some serious catching up to do after previously being associated with a different union," he said. "Our new agreement goes a long way toward solving that issue and providing the foundation for even greater strides next time."

Actually, the base wage figures don't tell the whole economic story. A change in contract language now permits all Grosse Point Park public safety officers to receive EMT training. Certification adds another 4 percent to the base pay scale. This means an EMT-certified officer with 49 or more months on the job will be paid more than $58,000 in the final year of the agreement.

Other important gains include:

  • Improvements in the longevity pay scale;
  • Better, more comprehensive health insurance coverage for both active officers and retirees;
  • An increase in the uniform allowance from $350 to $425, plus a commitment by the city to provide officers with Sig Sauer .40 caliber handguns (with holsters and magazine pouches).

The progress achieved by the agreement came as no surprise to Taylor, who said he has long been aware of MAP's reputation for excellent representation.

"The first thing I did when I became POA president in June of 2001 was to make sure we associated ourselves with the Michigan Association of Police. I was confident MAP's people would do a great job for us and they have."

"MAP has paid dividends and I've been very pleased with all of their representation."

In addition to Taylor, the local bargaining team included Michael Narduzzi, Jeff Longo and Ryan Milroth. Narduzzi has since been elected to succeed Taylor as GPPPSOA president.

"All of us did a lot of work on this contract, and we had a great deal of help from (MAP Executive Director) Fred Timner," Taylor said. "He used his expertise and experience to always lead us in the right direction. His leadership was a big plus."

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