New Hope City Council Approves Labor Agreement, Wage Increase for Police
The New Hope City Council has approved a new labor agreement with the union representing the city’s police department.
The agreement with Law Enforcement Labor Services Local No. 77 is for three years. It calls for a 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment, plus a 3 percent across the board wage increase in 2023. That’s followed by 3 percent increases the two years after that.
In approving the agreement, the city discussed the importance of reducing costs due to employee turnover at this week’s council meeting.
According to Rich Johnson, the city’s director of human resources, employer turnover at New Hope was 7.5 percent in 2021. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, the average turnover for state and local government was 20 percent last year throughout the Midwest region. The labor statistic excluded the education sector.
“The work culture is very good,” said Johnson, referring to the city of New Hope.
Johnson said that 7.5 percent translates to seven people, three of which were due to retirement.
Also See: New Hope Police Officer Retires After 36 Years, Reflects on City Hall Shooting
