Police Union Eager For New Contract

By Andrew Gorosko

The Newtown Police Union, Local No. 3153, is in the eighth month of negotiations with the town, seeking to reach a new police labor contract to replace a work agreement which expired June 30.

 The labor union represents 37 sworn police officers. It does not represent the police chief and police captain, who negotiate individual work contracts with the town.

 Police Union President Robert Koetsch, a patrol officer, said Tuesday, “We are working to make [the department] comparable to other area [police] departments, to make… a police department where people would like to stay, instead of making us a training ground for other departments.”

Police union members have long said the town police department’s relatively low pay scale compared to other Fairfield County departments results in recruits being trained at the town’s expense and spending a few years here getting law enforcement experience before moving on to jobs at higher-paying police departments elsewhere in the county.

“We’re negotiating.  We are talking. [The talks] are going painfully slowly,” Mr Koetsch said.

The talks concern wages, fringe benefits and working conditions.

Mr Koetsch declined to provide specifics about what police are seeking through the contract talks, citing an agreement between the town and police not to publicly discuss such matters.

So far, police and town representatives have spent about 15 hours at seven negotiating sessions discussing the terms of a new police labor contract, he said. Other officers helping to negotiate the new contract are Detective Robert Tvardzik, Officer Patricia Tesla and Officer Phil Hynes. Attorney Harry B. Elliott, Jr represents the union.

Mr Koetsch described the tone of the continuing labor talks as “cordial.” Negotiating sessions are held monthly, with the next one scheduled for December.

Mr Koetsch described morale among police officers as low. “We’re working without a contract. That’s a major issue,” he said. The terms of the contract, which expired June 30, will remain in effect until a new agreement is put in force. The last contract had a four-year term.

“We don’t know the status of the chief. We don’t know if he’s coming or going,” Mr Koetsch said. “It’s unclear as to the leadership of the department, where we are going to be heading as a police department,” he said.

Last July, the Police Commission, citing performance deficiencies, placed Police Chief James E. Lysaght, Jr on administrative leave until its job termination proceeding against him is resolved. Police Captain Michael Kehoe is running the police department in the chief’s absence.

 “We are not unreasonable. Our demands are not unreasonable. The town might think differently,” Mr Koetsch said of the talks.

Asked whether the talks might enter mediation or arbitration, Mr Koetsch said, “I would hope we don’t have to go that far.”

“Our last meeting was encouraging,” he said.

Det Tvardzik said, “The [union] membership is becoming very uneasy, disgruntled. Our goal is to get this contract resolved in the next couple months.”

 First Selectman Herbert Rosenthal, who has participated in the contract talks on behalf of the town, said of the ongoing negotiations, “Our goals are similar to theirs, as far as getting it [contract] resolved.”

The first selectman said the town and police union have ground rules under which they have agreed not to publicly discuss the labor negotiations.

“I won’t characterize the negotiations. I really don’t have any comment at all. I can’t really discuss it,” he said.

 Attorney Frederick L. Dorsey is negotiating the contract on behalf of the town. Other town participants are Capt Kehoe, Finance Director Benjamin Spragg and Human Resources Administrator Carole Ross.