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Ithaca PBA President Thomas Condzella.

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PBA President says City Hall and Council has sent a strong message of support to IPD Officers.

ITHACA, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES, October 6, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Ithaca Police Benevolent Association and the City of Ithaca, have settled a labor contract that covers the years 2024 through 2026. The agreement, voted on unanimously by both the PBA and the Ithaca Common Council earlier this week, includes generous raises and benefits with few concessions asked of the PBA.

Additionally, an on-call list has been established for Ithaca Police Investigators given an increased need for around the clock investigative coverage and expertise. Investigators will now also have a new pay scale separate from officers assigned to the patrol division. The new pay scale is intended to further professionalize the title and role of an Ithaca Police Investigator and properly compensate them for the difficult work they do.

According to the new contract, the starting base pay for an Ithaca Police Officer will immediately increase from $57,461 to $74,000 on January 1st, 2024, when the agreement takes effect. Top base pay for an officer will increase from $89,885 to $100,122 over the life of the agreement. The rates do not include overtime, holiday pay, shift differential or longevity.

Ithaca PBA President Tom Condzella said, “This contract is a result of strong collaboration and partnership between the PBA and the City Administration. It took commitment, mutual respect, and reasonable people on both sides of the table to get this deal done. The timing of this settlement also coincides nicely with the Department’s recruitment efforts. By supporting this agreement, the Mayor, the Common Council, and the City Administration have sent a strong message of support to all current and future Ithaca Police Officers. The message is that they value our service, they are investing in their police department, in public safety and in the future of our community.”

Condzella described the benefits and timeliness of the new agreement as “historic and unprecedented”. He said, “I’ve never seen a successor agreement reached this easily and amicably before the expiration of the current contract. I’m proud of the final product and of the PBA’s Negotiations Team. I also commend the Mayor, Common Council and City Administration for their commitment to getting this done right.” Condzella also attributed the positive outcome in negotiations to the continued support of the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition, the Midstate Central Labor Council, the Central New York Area Labor Federation, the New York State AFL-CIO, the Police Conference of New York, and the New York State Union of Police Associations. He also said “The recent pro-labor activism in our community by the Ithaca Public Workers Coalition and others was without a doubt a contributing factor to this successful outcome.”

Condzella believes that with the new agreement and other incentives being offered, IPD will start to pull out of the staffing crisis they have been in. He said that as staffing improves, he expects to see officers once again be able to proactively address crime and other issues in the community as opposed to simply responding to calls for service. Condzella also hopes that with better staffing, Ithaca Police Officers will soon be able to get out of their cars more often to better engage with the community. Condzella encourages lateral transfer candidates and new recruits to visit www.ipd-transfers.com or www.ipd-recruit.com to learn more about the job of an Ithaca Police Officer and to start the application process.

Thomas Condzella
Ithaca Police Benevolent Association
info@ithacapba.org
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