By Andrea Gregory

Today, Wednesday, Aug. 8, the 85 members of the Somerville Patrolmen’s Union are expected to vote on a new contract.

The union has been operating with a contract that expired June 30, 2004. The latest proposal to the union is comprised of two two-year contracts. It was important that the union receive a contract that stretches beyond the expired time span, according to the union president.

‚ÄúWhat they were doing was offering two and three year contracts,‚Äù Patrolemen‚Äôs Union President Jack Leuchter said of the city‚Äôs latest round of contract negotiations. 

However, it would have meant going back to the negotiating table immediately since there would be little to no time left on new contract like that, said Leuchter.

“When we sign this contract, we will have about 11 months we have to start up again,” he said.

Several other unions took accepted the shorter offers. Leuchter said this was an area that his union was not going to budge on. He said he believes part of the reason behind the city’s hesitation to offer a longer contract was the rising cost of heath care. The city was adding a 5 percent increase to an employee’s share of municipal health insurance. He said he thought the city’s plan was to come back and ask for another 5 percent in the next round of negotiations. Leuchter said he was saving the city a trip when his union agreed to work 10 percent into the current contract in exchange for a longer deal.

But it still took months until the union had an offer worthy of taking back to its members, he said. The current proposal is the first to go before the membership for a vote.

“This is the first proposal deemed worthy of bringing back to the body,” he said.

Leuchter, who said it was too premature to discuss details of the contract, said the 10 percent increase in heath insurance cost is in the contract under review. He said he would be able to relay more details if and when the membership approves the deal.

“I am reasonably sure it is going to pass,” he said. “However, until every i is dotted and every t is crossed, we don’t have a contract.”

Leuchter said the health insurance issue and the reorganization of the Somerville Police Department, made this round of negotiations a bit more difficult. He also said there is no real pressure of cities and towns to push out new contracts in a more timely manner.

However, according to the mayor’s office, Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone has negotiated more contracts in a shorter time than any other administration in recent city history. Curtatone said every collective bargaining unit was unsigned when he came on. Today, there are two unions still working on reaching contract agreements.

“We have negotiated fair deals for the unions of the city and the taxpayers,” said Curtatone.

Still, the Patrolmen’s Union, feeling frustrated with the process, attempted to create some pressure of its own last fall when it took up picketing City Hall. He said it had been about 25 years since the union had relied on picketing to get its point across to the administration and the public. The union also teamed up with the Local 76 Firemen’s Union for the picketing.

“I think it did speed it (the negotiating process) up,” said Leuchter. “I don’t think up until that point we got a serious proposal.”

Leuchter said the proposal under consideration by his union has some give and take by both sides.

“That’s how you make a deal,” he said. “The bottom line is it was a difficult process. This one was tough. We were over two years out before we got a legitimate proposal. In this day and age, the city has limitations too. I understand that. It worked out well for both sides.”