Question 1

Funeral Leave

Accepted Answer

In the event of the death of one of the following listed relatives, an employee shall be entitled to paid leave:

Sisters / Sisters-in-law                    
Brothers / Brothers-in-law             
Father-in-law                   
Mother-in-law               
Sons-in-law                    
Daughters-in-law
Grandparents on both sides
Grandchildren

If the funeral is under 300 miles from the City of Warren, you are entitled to 3 days, regardless of 8, 10 or 12 hour shifts.  If the funeral is more than 300 miles from the City of Warren, and you are attending the funeral, you are entitled to 2 additional days if assigned to 8 hour shifts.

In the event of the death of one of the following listed relatives, an employee shall be entitled to paid leave:

Husband
Wife
Mother / Stepmother
Father / Stepfather
Children / Stepchildren 
8 hour shifts = 5 days

10 hour shifts = 4 days

12 hour shifts = 3 days

If the death occurs while you are on furlough, your status will be changed to funeral leave.

To submit for funeral leave, contact your immediate supervisor, or the watch commander (if assigned to patrol).  Be prepared to provide them with the persons name, relationship, and funeral arrangements.  Also be prepared to notify what days you are requesting to use your paid funeral leave time.

WPOA Contract Article 27

Question 2

Buy American Bonus

Accepted Answer

If you purchase or lease a new domestically-manufactured Chrysler, General Motors or Ford vehicle (limit to two (2) vehicle purchases through the term of the contract), you are entitled to $100.  This will be added to your paycheck.  To submit verification, take the original purchase or lease agreement to Human Resources.  The $100 is paid periodically throughout the year.

WPOA Contract Article 42 (Appendix J)

Question 3

Jury Duty

Accepted Answer

Employees required to serve jury duty may do so without any loss of wages (limited to eight (8) hours of regular pay) or benefits. Any jury duty fees received by the employee shall be assigned to the City.

Notify your supervisor when you must appear and any fees you receive for jury duty must be turned over to the City.

WPOA Contract Article 36

Question 4

Clothing Allowance

Accepted Answer

Officers receive $550 and Corporals $750.  The amount is added to your account on July 1st of each year.   The maximum amount you can keep in your account is $1,650 for Officers and $2,250 for Corporals.

On the first anniversary date of employment as a Police Officer, officers shall receive a prorated amount for the balance of the fiscal year in which their first anniversary date falls.

WPOA Contract Article 19

Question 5

Cleaning Allowance

Accepted Answer

The cleaning allowance for Police Officers and Corporals shall be six hundred dollars ($600.00) annually. The cleaning allowance shall be paid in the first pay of each November. In the event that an employee is off duty for at least sixty (60) working days during any benefit year, this allowance shall be paid on a prorated basis. For the purposes of this Article, the term “benefit year” shall refer to the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the payment date of such allowance.

WPOA Contract Article 19

Question 6

Holiday

Accepted Answer

Each employee shall be paid for fourteen (16) holidays per year at the employee’s base rate of pay.  Eligible employees will be paid twice a year for these holidays including for seven (7) holidays on the first pay in December and the other nine (9) holidays on the first pay in June.

December paid holidays shall be:

Juneteenth
July 4
Labor Day
Columbus Day
Veterans Day
Thanksgiving Day
Day after Thanksgiving

June paid holidays shall be:

Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
New Years Eve
New Years Day
Martin Luther King Day
Presidents Day 
Good Friday
Easter
Memorial Day

Double time shall be paid for overtime hours worked on these holidays. Employees working any of the above holidays shall receive time and one-half (1-1/2) for all regular hours worked on the holiday. An employee shall be deemed to have worked on the holiday when his or her shift began on the holiday.

WPOA Contract Article 14

Question 7

Personal Leave Day (PLD)

Accepted Answer

An employee shall be allowed to use four (4) accumulated sick days per year for personal business, known as PLD or personal leave days.

The employee shall notify his supervisor at least three (3) days prior to taking a personal leave day off, unless the personal leave is to be used for an immediate emergency. The City agrees that permission will not be unreasonably withheld. Said personal leave days may be taken consecutively and may be attached to scheduled leave or furlough days.

WPOA Contract Article 15

Question 8

Gun Allowance

Accepted Answer

All officers in the bargaining unit shall be provided annually with a nine hundred fifty dollar ($950.00) allowance representing compensation for carrying their weapon for the preceding period July 1 to June 30, to be paid the last pay in June.

Employees on sickness and accident may be subject to “proration” and shall be paid no later than the last pay in July. In the event that an officer is off duty for at least sixty (60) working days during any benefit year, this allowance shall be paid on a prorated basis. For the purposes of this Article, the term “benefit year” shall refer to the twelve (12) months immediately prior to the payment date of such allowance.

WPOA Contract Article 34

Question 9

Shift Premium

Accepted Answer

Employees assigned by the Department for work on afternoons, midnights, and the split shift shall be paid shift premium at the following rates:

Premium pay of four percent (4%) of base pay per hour for the afternoon shift beginning between 2:00 pm and 6:00 pm.
Premium pay of five percent (5%) of base pay per hour for the split shift beginning between 6:00 pm and 10:00 pm. 
Premium pay of six percent (6%) of base pay per hour for the midnight shift beginning between 10:00 pm and 4:00 am.

Such shift premium shall be paid in addition to the base rate of pay for each employee.

When an employee is absent from his or her regular tour of duty on compensatory time off funeral leave and all Union time, he or she shall be eligible for shift premium pay. When an employee is absent from his or her regular tour of duty due to sickness, disability leave, furlough, personal leave, or birthday, he or she shall not be eligible for shift premium pay.

WPOA Contract Article 13

Question 10

On The Job Injury

Accepted Answer

The City of Warren will continue to pay the difference between workers’ compensation and base pay to each employee qualifying this section up to a maximum of six (6) months.

The Association may apply to the City Council for an extension. Provided, however, that it is not intended that any employee is to receive more than a full year’s pay as a result of this clause in conjunction with the vacation plan.

It is important that if you are injured on the job, you notify your supervisor as soon as practicable as well as notify the union.  You may contact any union steward, or submit a support ticket online.

WPOA Contract Article 16

Question 11

Sickness & Accident (Off Duty Injury)

Accepted Answer

The City shall provide a sickness and accident insurance plan whereby employees will be provided benefits amounting to fifty percent (50%) of their base pay for a maximum of fifty-two (52) weeks upon the occurrence of the following events:

First (1st) day of accident;
First (1st) day of inpatient hospitalization (includes outpatient surgery);
Sixteenth (16th) calendar day of sickness.

Employees may utilize their sick bank for the first fifteen (15) days in cases of sickness where there is no hospital confinement. On the sixteenth (16th) day of sickness, employees may choose to be covered by the insurance provided herein or may, at their option, continue to utilize their sick bank. While receiving insurance benefits, employees may choose to have a deduction of one quarter (1/4) of a sick day or one-quarter (1/4) of a vacation day for each day of benefits to supplement the insurance payments.

Essentially, you are paid 75% pay.  Fifty percent (50%) from the insurance company paid weekly and twenty-five percent (25%) from the city in your normal paycheck, bi-weekly.

To submit a request for disability, off-duty accident, or surgery, contact the WPOA Union.  There is paperwork that is required to be completed by your doctor.  For further questions you may contact the Insurance Division of City Hall at 586-574-4653.

WPOA Contract Article 17

Question 12

Single Furlough Day

Accepted Answer

Employees will be allowed to utilize a maximum of five (5) single furlough days in any vacation period.

No single furlough days shall be approved without 24 hours prior notice to the officer’s supervisor.  Officers shall under no circumstance use single furlough days to work or accrue overtime, including overtime attributable to foreseeable court appearances.

WPOA Contract Article 18

Question 13

Longevity

Accepted Answer

Longevity payments will be made on the first paycheck following the completion of the service year. Eligible after five (5) years of service as follows:

After  5 years                                   $680  
After 10 years                                 $1360                       
After 15 years                                 $2040                       
After 20 years                                 $2720           
After 25 years                                 $3400

WPOA Contract Article 20

Question 14

Education Incentive

Accepted Answer

Police Officers, Corporals and Dispatchers shall be entitled to participate in an educational incentive program under which the City shall pay Police Officers and Dispatchers who have completed four (4) years of service as Officers or Dispatchers with the Warren Police Department.

two hundred dollars ($200.00) for a Certificate
four hundred dollars ($400.00) for an Associate Degree 
six hundred dollars ($600.00) for a Bachelor’s Degree 
The degree must be in Police Science and/or Police Administration from an accredited college or university. These benefits shall be paid the second payday in August.

Officers and Dispatchers who attain an Associate Degree, Bachelor Degree, or a Certificate in Police Science and/or Police Administration and/or four (4) years of service after the August pay date and before the end of the calendar year shall receive their first such payment in January.

WPOA Contract Article 28

Question 15

Critical Incident Response

Accepted Answer

What is a critical incident?

A critical incident is any incident that may result in a criminal investigation or serious rules violation. This includes, a death in custody, injuries that may occur while in the process or an arrest, or even the discharge of a weapon. In order to be prepared if such an incident does occur, officer need to know exactly who to contact, what your rights are and that all processes are properly followed.

What to do if you are involved in a critical incident?

If you are involved in a critical incident such as an officer involved shooting, you should...

1. Contact your union steward or union board member immediately.

2. Beyond information given for officer's safety, officers should not discuss the details of the incident with anyone including their Steward.

3. Officers are protected by the Fifth Amendment and must invoke the right to remain silent until they have spoken to an attorney.

Question 16

Interview by a supervisor

Accepted Answer

You have a right:

1. To be informed of the nature of the investigation.

2. To be told whether you are expected to be the subject of the investigation or merely a witness.

3. To have a WPOA representative present during questioning, and not to have this fact held against you.

4. To refuse to answer questions for a reasonable time, once your demand is given to have a WPOA representative present.

5. To the protections detailed by the Miranda and Garrity cases when the circumstances may result in either criminal or departmental charges.

6. To refuse to write a report or Form 50 about situations involving possible criminal charges being laid against you, and prior to, the opportunity to confer with a WPOA representative.

7. To demand WPOA representation whenever you reasonably believe that the interview may lead to discipline.

IN ALL INTERVIEWS ASK:

1. Am I under investigation for any alleged criminal conduct?

2. Am I suspected of breaking a Department rule or regulation?

3. Can I request time to contact my WPOA Representative or attorney to have him/her present?

4. Am I being ordered to answer the questions put to me or face discipline or discharge?

FAQ's ABOUT SUPERVISORY INTERVIEWS

Q. Do I have a right to have an attorney present during a so-called Garrity interview?

A. During Garrity interviews, generally it is customary in many departments, but you must request the presence of an attorney. You do not have the right to an attorney in the so- called Weingarten interview, but you have the right to a union representative, but you must ask for the representation.

Q. What is the Weingarten right?

A. You have a right to union representation during an investigatory interview by administration that you reasonably believe might result in discipline. The belief must be reasonable under the circumstances.

Q. How do I invoke my Weingarten rights?

A. Upon notice to report for an interview, ask the employer if the answers to the questions could result in discipline, and if so, ask that you have a union representative present. There is no right to an attorney, but you have a right to consult with a union representative prior to answering questions. You have a right to have a union representative present during the interview.

Question 17

Court Time from Previous Employer

Accepted Answer

Q. Do we get court time for a subpoena from a previous department?

A. No, the contract is very clear, if you are off-duty, you can only get paid for court if the subpoena is "as a result of his duties as a Warren city employee".   If you are working and subpoena'd for court, you can go during working hours.