JOPLIN, Mo. – The Joplin City Council honored an revised agreement with the FOP (Fraternal Order of Police) that was signed in May contingent on the August voter approval of a property tax. That property tax failed before the voters 45% – 55%.
So the city of Joplin has been working this past month to come up with a way to create a new pay plan. City Manager Nick Edwards said the monies for these raises will come from three places:
“We’ve done some expenditure savings, some belt-tightening. I mentioned early on in our budget process that we look at our expenditures carefully, we’ve prioritized, trying to do as much as we could for wage improvements. The city has also received some increased sales tax primarily to do some inflation, but our sales tax receipts have increased. And then there is an anticipation that the Northpark Mall TIF will pay off this year. So the funds that are available through those three things is what is allowing us to move forward and propose these pay increases. Following this we hope to bring forward soon similar pay for… fire and general employees.” – Joplin City Manager Nick Edwards
In a continued effort to retain their officers Joplin Police have also implemented many suggestions from a Police Dept Allocation Study that was done by an outside group. One noticeable change has been to have patrol officers on 12-hour shifts. The study noted it allows officers to have every other weekend off. It has shown in other departments to raise morale.
Sgt Thomas Bowin of the Fraternal Order of Police spoke before council stating the revised pay agreement was a good place to start now that a beginning officer will receive about $19.23 an hour. Although that is not competitively regionally it is locally he said.
Councilman Chuck Copple stated, “Thank you all for working on this plan and program. Thank you for sticking with us and seeing this through. And as far as this council member goes we are not through, this is just step one.”
Note these 3% step increases only apply to officers, corporals and sergeants. Read more in the documents provided below.
Tuesday, September 6, 2022 Joplin City Council Meeting
“The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #27 (hereinafter “FOP”) has long represented police
officers, corporals, and sergeants of the City of Joplin, Missouri (hereinafter “City”), regarding
terms and conditions of employment, historically through a process known as “meet and confer”.
In January of 2022, the FOP notified the City that it wanted to open collective bargaining
negotiations on issues such as compensation and working conditions, the FOP and the City met
and negotiated the terms of a labor agreement, and, on or about May 5, 2022, the parties came to
an agreement.
The compensation piece of the Labor Agreement, specifically the new pay plan and slotting of
employees was contingent on this Council placing a property tax on the August 2, 2022 ballot and
voters of the City passing the tax, and in the event that the tax did not pass, the agreement was
subject to being reopened for further negotiations on all issues.
The voters of the City did not pass the tax, the Labor Agreement was reopened for further
negotiations on all issues, and the parties came to a revised agreement. The Revised Labor
Agreement was taken to the FOP membership and they voted in favor of adopting the agreement.
The City desires to approve the attached Revised Labor Agreement, which shall expire on
December 31, 2027, in order to allow for changes to wages as contemplated therein to take effect
on September 10, 2022.” – Council Bill No. 2022-008 approving a Revised Labor Agreement by and between the
City of Joplin and the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #27
Council Bill 8752
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