Mattawa Council approves proposed contract with police union

MATTAWA — After a negotiation process that went to mediation, the Mattawa City Council voted May 15 to approve a new three-year contract with the union representing Mattawa Police Department officers.

The vote was 4-2, with council members Tony Acosta and Fabiola Hernandez voting no.

City Attorney Kathryn Kenison said it was a challenging process.

“We didn’t think we were going to get there, but we asked the mediator to work with us a little longer and this is what the parties compromised on,” Kenison said. “The open items were mostly the financials.”

Mattawa police officers will receive a 6% pay raise in the first year of the contract and 4% the remaining two years. Officers will receive incentive pay for continuing education; MPD officers who receive an associate degree will receive a 3% raise, up from 2% in the previous contract.

Because the department has some open positions, officers work a 12-hour shift, and the new contract will give MPD Chief Alex Zesati the discretion to change work hours to 10-hour or eight-hour shifts if conditions warrant. Officers asked for and city negotiators agreed to a change the pay scale for officers working holidays.

Under the terms of the agreement, officers will be paid what they would get for the holiday for the entire 12-hour shift. That prompted questions from Acosta.

“How’s it going to work? When an officer works on a holiday, what’s their hourly rate going to be?” Acosta asked.

In his opinion, he said, the proposal was too expensive for the city.

“It’s not like we’re paying them regular (rate). We’re compensating them extra because they’re already working the holiday,” Acosta said. “The 12 hours (of holiday pay) is a financial burden for the city, because law enforcement works every holiday.”

Hernandez said she agreed with that, but council member Brian Berghout said city officials are asking MPD officers to work when other people are at home. Zesati said the MPD job brings with it the potential to be called into work on a holiday, even for people who are not scheduled for that day.

“To me, it’s fair. It’s like an equity thing, because they’re out there on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, not at home,” Berghout said.

The contract also included an increase in the incentive pay for officers who stay in Mattawa as well as a change in compensation for people who qualify as, and work as, field training officers.

Officers will be allowed to drive police vehicles to and from work.

“(That) is what you agreed to in the (memorandum of understanding). We’re making it clear that this would be in consideration of resolving the labor dispute, rather than setting a precedent going forward,” Kenison said.

Berghout asked about reopening negotiations, given that the first round required mediation.

“I don’t anticipate any issue in the guild side, because they had all of the officers in attendance for the mediation session. All of the officers were involved in the internal conversation that led to these proposed items for resolution,” Kenison said. “Obviously, the guild has to vote on it, and so does the city council before it’s a done deal.”

Council members discussed the contract further in executive session before the vote.

   Children try their hand at eating a doughnut – or actually, try not using hands – during the 2024 National Night Out sponsored by the Mattawa Police Department. A new contract between the union representing MPD officers and the city was approved by council members on May 15.